“Does Character Count in Politics?”

Although we praise someone for having “character,” constituents often elect those who display little of it. Why are ethical qualities such as honesty, responsibility, humility, and respect for others not valued more by voters? Why are so many willing to turn a blind eye to contemptible personal behavior on the part of politicians? Is the “noble statesmen” a quaint relic of the past? Hugh Taft-Morales explores these questions in an attempt to unearth some reason for optimism about the future of ethical politics in the United States.

Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed “invigorating.” Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.