Ethics Questions Flashcards
Under the AICP Code of Ethics, a planner’s primary obligation is to serve the public interest. A planner’s responsibility to the public interest includes which of the following?
A) Having special concern for the long-range consequences of present actions.
B) Providing a citizens group with information not in the public record
C) Allowing citizen groups to develop land use alternatives
D) Providing high quality customer service
The answer is A. A planner is obligated to have a special concern for the long-range consequences of present actions. None of the other response are specifically included in the Code of Ethics.
Which of the following is NOT considered to be a planner’s primary obligation to serve the public interest under the AICP Code of Ethics?
A) Have a special concern for long-range consequences
B) A planner must exercise independent professional judgment on behalf of clients and employers
C) Providing opportunities for meaningful citizen participation
D) Seek social justice by working to expand choice and opportunity for all
The answer is “B”. Exercising independent judgement is part of the planner’s responsibility to clients and employers, not to the public. Through memorization of the code of ethics, candidates would be able to quickly determine the correct answer.
As a city planner, you’ve recently reviewed the rezoning of a property for a 1,000 unit planned unit development. In your staff report, you recommended against the approval of the rezoning. The developer approaches the planner and tries to recruit her to join his firm to work on this multi-phase development. The planner accepts a position with another city instead. However, this position does not work out as expected and after working 13 months for the city, the planner decides to accept a position with the development company, working on the buildout of the planned unit development. How would you describe the planner’s action?
A) acceptable: 11 months is sufficient time
B) Acceptable: employment in the consulting firm automatically absolved the planner from any involvement in the project
C) Unacceptable: a planner must never accept employment with a firm doing business in his/her own jurisdiction
D) Unacceptable: the planner should have waited until three years after discontinuing employment
The answer is D. According to the AICP Code of Ethics, a planner must wait three years before engaging in work involving their previous employer. The candidate needs to recall the code to solve this question.
The planning director is approached by a member of his staff with a complaint of sexual harassment against another employee in the department. What should the Planning Director do first?
A) review the HR Procedures manual section on Sexual harassment and follow the instructions
B) file a complaint with the AICP Commission
C) call a staff meeting to discuss the issue
D) talk to the employee to find out what happened
The answer is A. The director should begin by consulting the city’s procedures manual. the AICP code of ethics does not address sexual harassment
