International Journal of Social Science and Business
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): February

Political Morality in Modern Governance: Between Ethics, Power, and Public Interest

Luis Armando Sabarofek (Department of Government Affairs and Administration, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Zuly Qodir (Department of Government Affairs and Administration, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jun 2026

Abstract

This paper discusses political morality in modern government by highlighting the relationship between public ethics, the exercise of power, and the public interest. The purpose of this study is to analyse the position of political morality in government practice and to explain how the dimensions of morality, ethics, and power influence each other in shaping the legitimacy of government. The research uses a qualitative approach through indexed literature reviews and content analysis of national media news. The data were analysed using NVivo 12 Plus through thematic coding techniques, concept map visualisation, and. The results show that political morality in modern government is reflected in three main dimensions: the morality of elite behaviour, institutional morality, and public policy morality. Media findings broadcast patterns of ethical deviations, secrecy of power, and recurring moral legitimacy crises, especially when institutional accountability and transparency weaken. This study also found that political morality functions as an evaluative basis for the quality of power, as affirmed by Weber's theory of legitimacy, Rawls' justice, and Habermas' communication ethics. In conclusion, political morality is the main foundation for strengthening the legitimacy of power and public trust. This paper offers a conceptual model of the relationship between morality, ethics, and power as a new contribution to governance studies. Future research should expand empirical analysis at the local level and develop more operational indicators for evaluating political morality.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IJSSB

Publisher

Subject

Social Sciences

Description

International Journal of Social Science and Business (IJSSB) is an open access, peer-reviewed and refereed journal published by Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (Undiksha), Indonesia. The main objective of IJSSB is to provide an intellectual platform for the international scholars. IJSSB aims to ...