Final answer:
The actions that public service agencies can undertake to promote ethical behavior include opening government records, requiring annual evaluations by the president, and forcing public meetings. Empowering Congress is not a direct agency-level action for promoting ethical behavior. Examples from ASA, IEEE, FOIA, and legal frameworks highlight methods for fostering ethical practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the actions that public service agencies can undertake to promote consistent ethical behavior. The list of possible actions provided hints at various efforts that agencies could employ to enhance transparency and accountability, which are essential components of promoting ethical practices in governance. However, one option does not align with this goal, which is empowering Congress. Empowering Congress does not directly relate to an agency-level strategy for promoting ethical behavior. Instead, the more relevant actions include opening government records to citizen scrutiny, requiring annual evaluations by the president, and forcing agencies to hold public meetings. These strategies help in creating a responsive bureaucracy, encourage corporate responsibility, and foster public education on ethical conduct.
Examples of institutional approaches that promote ethical behavior could involve the American Sociological Association's (ASA) ethical guidelines for sociologists or the IEEE Computer Society's Software Engineering Code of Ethics, which mandate certain standards of conduct and accountability. Additionally, legal enhancements like tying the consequences of legal violations directly to corporate executives and safeguarding data privacy could further strengthen ethical practices. Lastly, legislation like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Sunshine Act work towards maintaining open records and soliciting public input, enhancing the ethical functioning of agencies.