Synthesis: Liberal Society Values and Administrative Ethics

For a civil servant, the obligations of a liberal society translate into concrete ethical duties:

1. Transparency as default: If in doubt, disclose. Information belongs to citizens; secrecy is the exception requiring justification.
2. Media as partner, not adversary: A free press improves governance. Officers who cooperate transparently with journalists build public trust; those who obstruct undermine democracy.
3. RTI as service, not threat: RTI applications are citizens exercising a constitutional right. A liberal administrator facilitates rather than delays or obstructs.
4. Accountability over self-protection: When errors are made, admitting and correcting them is more consistent with liberal values than cover-up. Cover-ups compound the original failure.
5. Citizen-centricity: Citizens are principal; officials are agents. Services are rights, not favours.