conflict of interest

(noun)

A situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, insurance adjuster, a politician, executive or director of a corporation or a medical research scientist or physician, has competing professional or personal interests.

Related Terms

Examples of conflict of interest in the following topics:

  • The Sixth Amendment and the Right to Counsel

    • Subject to considerations such as conflicts of interest, scheduling, counsel's authorization to practice law in the jurisdiction, and counsel's willingness to represent the defendant (whether pro bono or for a fee), criminal defendants have a right to be represented by counsel of their choice.
    • Whether counsel is retained or appointed, the defendant has a right to counsel without a conflict of interest.
    • If an actual conflict of interest is present, and that conflict results in any adverse effect on the representation, the result is automatic reversal.
    • The general rule is that conflicts can be knowingly and intelligently waived, but some conflicts are non-waiveable.
    • Some states extend the right to counsel to all matters where a defendant's liberty interest is threatened.

  • Journalistic Standards

    • Historically and currently, journalists consider the subset of media ethics as their professional "code of ethics" or "canons of journalism".
    • Codes of journalism are designed to guide journalists through numerous ethical challenges, such as conflict of interest.
    • A conflict of interest occurs when a single individual or organization adopts multiple interests, one of which could potentially corrupt the incentive to pursue another.
    • Ethical standards should not be confused with the common standards of quality of presentation.
    • This method of composition is sometimes called the "inverted pyramid" , named for the decreasing importance of information in subsequent paragraphs.

  • Policy Making and Special Interests

    • Many different types of groups attempt to influence United States policy.
    • Because of the wide variety of special interest groups, conflict between groups on an issue is common.
    • Meanwhile, the sheer intensity of interest groups can make up for inadequate resources or numbers of constituents.
    • Events, such as the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), highlight the differences among special interest groups and the competition that takes place between them to capture the attention of policymakers.
    • Describe the formation of special-interest groups and their role in the creation of policy

  • Agricultural Interest Groups

    • Agricultural interest groups are a type of economic interest group that represent farmers.
    • For any given issue, there will be large number of competing interest groups.
    • Agricultural interest groups represent the economic interests of farmers.
    • There are various types of farms and farmers in the U.S. that often have conflicting interests.
    • Small farmers are just one part of the larger group of farmers involved in agricultural interest groups.

  • Environmental Policy

    • Environmental Policy has become highly contentious and political, with competing interests involved at any legislation over the environment.
    • The environment covers so many different aspects of life from health and recreation to business and commerce that there are always competing interests involved at any legislation focused on the environment.
    • These include various members of the executive and legislative branches of government, state and municipal governments, as well as civil servants, external interests groups, and international governments and residents.
    • One of the enduring conflicts in environmental policy is between environmental and business interests.
    • For example, when the U.S. pulled out of its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol there was a great deal of international criticism.

  • Environmental Interest Groups

    • Environmental interest groups are public-interest groups that advocate around conservation and ecological issues.
    • Interest groups in general are groups represent people or organizations with common concerns and interests.
    • Today environmental interests groups are extremely varied, and while they all share some concern for conversation or the environment, many hold conflicting views about levels of conservation versus for example stewardship, and about appropriate strategies for pursuing their interests.
    • There are criticisms of environmental interest group including the concern that not all of their claims are scientifically sound, and the complaint that environmental actions or regulations will disrupt business.
    • On the other hand some business groups have also taken up environmental causes, with business practices and promotion geared towards members and supporters of environmental interests.

  • Consumer Interest Groups

    • Interest groups represent people or organizations with common concerns and interests.
    • Consumer Interest Groups focus on the issues and interests of consumers .
    • Consumer Interest Groups can be considered public-interest groups since their work benefits consumers rather than providing exclusive economic benefits to a closed set of members.
    • This process allows consumers with conflicts or complaints regarding a particular business receive arbitration through the BBB.
    • In a very different vein from the example above, the British Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is one of the oldest and largest single-issue consumer interest groups in the UK.

  • Interest Groups vs. Political Parties

    • It was financed mainly by large corporations and industrial interests.
    • In the UK, the conservative party's campaigns are often funded by large corporations, as many of the conservative party's campaigns reflect the interests of businesses.
    • More often than not, lobbying coalitions enter into conflict with each other.
    • It is in their best interest to preserve the status quo.
    • As these coalitions enter into conflict, congressmen must choose how to vote in the face of different pressures from different constituencies.

  • Foreign Policy

    • A country's foreign policy includes all of the policies it develops to pursue its national interests as it interacts with other countries.
    • A country's foreign policy consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its own goals through relations with other countries.
    • National interest accomplishments can occur as a result of peaceful cooperation with other nations or through exploitation.
    • Foreign policy is designed to protect the national interests of the state.
    • Terrorism, conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nuclear weapons programs of Iran and North Korea, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and instability and challenges to autocratic rulers in the Middle East are only the most obvious of the foreign policy issues that affect the United States.

  • Cohesiveness

    • Characteristics shared by members of a group may include interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties.
    • In general, groups who seek to influence government policy on domestic or foreign issues are referred to as "advocacy groups. " Those interest groups, established by ethnic identity groups, are referred to as ethnic interest groups.
    • The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee is an example of an ethnic interest group in the United States - its mission is to influence American foreign policy and maintain a robust alliance with Israel .
    • Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.
    • The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee is an example of an ethnic interest group.