Everything is fine! Using “The Good Place” to teach administrative ethics

ABSTRACT

Creating an engaging and educational experience in an ethics class can be difficult. But media, such as TV and movies, can supplement ethics education in public administration. For this study, I used the TV show “The Good Place” as a case study for a masters-level Administrative Ethics class. Through this, I explore the themes presented in the show and discussion questions which can be used to encourage conversation. Furthermore, building on previous literature, I explore how TV and movies can accent the ethics education in a public administration classroom.

KEYWORDS:

• Administrative ethics
• The Good Place
• TV and movies

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Cristina Balboa, Colin Brown, Kyle Bueno, Debora Coelho, Jeff Loiselle, Jamie Levine Daniel, Janay Mitchell, Emily Perkins, Jaclyn Piatak, Charlie Peters, Matthew Rushton, Scott Smyth, Chris Welch, and Staci Zavattaro for support in this project and feedback on this paper.

Notes

1. The ethics of a point system is also dealt with in season three episodes Janet(s), The Book of Dougs, and Chidi Sees the Time-Knife. When planning out a syllabus using a TV show like The Good Place, one could show episodes with similar themes to show growth throughout the semester or diverse themes to provide various cases.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seth J. Meyer

Seth J. Meyer is a professor of nonprofit management in the Department of Political Science at Bridgewater State University. His research focuses on organizational behavior in nonprofit organizations, social equity, and public administration education. Seth received a PhD in Public Administration from Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration.