Civil Service FAQ Civil Service Ethics Questions and Answers

Question 1

A federal employee is offered a gift basket from a contractor their agency oversees. The basket contains items valued at a total of $35. According to the general rule on gifts from outside sources, what should the employee do?

Accepted Answer

Decline the gift because it exceeds the $20 per-occasion limit.

Answer

The general rule for gifts from prohibited sources (like contractors) states that an employee may not accept a gift valued at more than $20 on a single occasion. While there is a $50 annual limit for gifts from one source, each individual gift must not exceed the $20 threshold.

Question 2

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a violation of the principle that 'Public service is a public trust'?

Accepted Answer

An inspector accepts a free lunch from a company they are currently auditing, believing it will not influence their findings.

Answer

The principle 'Public service is a public trust' requires employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, laws, and ethical principles above private gain. Accepting a gift from an entity one is tasked with overseeing creates an appearance of impropriety and could be seen as using a public office for private gain, thereby violating this core trust.

Question 3

A senior federal employee leaves their government position to work for a private company. They are immediately assigned to represent the company in a contract negotiation with their former agency. The employee had personally and substantially participated in the early stages of this same contract matter while employed by the government. Which post-employment restriction is most directly violated?

Accepted Answer

The lifetime ban on matters in which they participated 'personally and substantially'.

Answer

Federal ethics rules include a lifetime ban that prohibits former employees from communicating with or appearing before the government on behalf of another party concerning specific matters in which they participated 'personally and substantially' during their government service.

Question 4

An employee at a federal agency learns nonpublic information that a specific alternative energy technology, currently being developed by several private companies, will soon receive a major, unexpected government grant. Before this information is announced, the employee buys stock in one of the leading companies in that sector. This action primarily violates the ethical principle regarding:

Accepted Answer

Not using nonpublic Government information to further any private interest.

Answer

One of the Fourteen Principles of Ethical Conduct explicitly prohibits employees from engaging in financial transactions using nonpublic Government information or allowing the improper use of such information to further any private interest. The employee used confidential information obtained through their official position for personal financial gain.

Question 5

Which of the following actions is an appropriate use of government property or an employee's official position?

Accepted Answer

Using an agency's official letterhead to write a letter of recommendation for a former subordinate seeking a new federal government job.

Answer

Ethics regulations generally permit an employee to use their official title and stationery to provide a recommendation for someone they have worked with in the government or for someone seeking federal employment. The other actions represent a misuse of government property, position, or a subordinate's time for private gain.

Civil Service FAQ Practice Test

Civil Service FAQ Practice Test

Civil Service FAQ Civil Service Ethics Questions and Answers