Civil Service FAQ Civil Service Ethics Questions and Answers 2

Question 1

A civil servant discovers their supervisor is awarding contracts to a company owned by a relative. What should the employee do first?

Accepted Answer

Report the concern through the agency's ethics hotline or inspector general

Answer

Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict

Answer

Confront the supervisor publicly

Answer

Accept the situation since the supervisor outranks them

Question 2

Which action best demonstrates the principle of impartiality in civil service?

Accepted Answer

Applying the same eligibility criteria to all applicants regardless of personal relationships

Answer

Giving faster service to constituents who are friends or family

Answer

Prioritizing cases based on political affiliation

Answer

Approving requests from those who offer gifts

Question 3

Under U.S. federal ethics rules, what is the general limit for a gift a federal employee may accept from a prohibited source?

Accepted Answer

$20 per occasion, up to $50 per year

Answer

$50 per occasion, up to $100 per year

Answer

$25 per occasion, up to $75 per year

Answer

There is no dollar limit; all gifts are banned

Question 4

A civil servant is offered a post-government job by a company that was a contractor on a project they supervised. What ethics concern does this raise?

Accepted Answer

A revolving-door conflict of interest

Answer

None, because the project is already complete

Answer

A whistleblower retaliation issue

Answer

A privacy act violation

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of misuse of government position?

Accepted Answer

Using your official title to endorse a private company's product

Answer

Using your agency email address to receive work-related messages

Answer

Recommending a qualified colleague for a promotion

Answer

Signing official documents in your capacity as a government employee

Question 6

What does the term 'appearance of a conflict of interest' mean in civil service ethics?

Accepted Answer

A situation that looks improper to a reasonable person, even if no actual wrongdoing occurred

Answer

A confirmed violation of ethics rules that has been investigated

Answer

An employee's personal opinion that a policy is unfair

Answer

A disagreement between two coworkers over a decision