The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics has started a five-part weekly series leading up to Inauguration Day to discuss various ethical issues that confront our 44th president:

– Who will the Obama administration bring into federal service? What virtues will they be looking for and what ethical considerations will guide their selection?

– What tools will the new administration use to prosecute the war on terror, and what balance will they strike between security and human/civil rights?

– What principles should guide the financial bailout? On what basis will the new administration decide if a particular firm or industry should receive help from taxpayers?

– What is the responsibility of the United States to other countries? Should we focus on spreading democracy or combating human misery?

– What does Obama see as the proper scope of presidential power?

Each week, the Center staff will discuss one of these topics, online and via podcast.