Ethics, or the Lack Thereof

In the Age of Enron, do Americans take a dim view of business leaders’ morals? Yes. That’s clear from the chart below, which excerpts a poll by the Pew Center for the People and the Press. But let’s put this in context: Americans seem to look askance at everyone’s morals. When the poll asked if people in general are as moral and honest as they used to be, 73 percent of respondents answered “no.” Likewise, 76 percent said young people today don’t have “as strong a sense of right and wrong” as was the case 50 years ago.