14GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING ETHICS
Providing accountability to maintain the public trust
Introduction
There are a significant number of government agencies in the United States. When one considers counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special districts, there are over 90,000 US state and local governments (U.S. Census State Government Finances 2012). Coupled with the more than 25 federal government agencies, over $7 trillion was spent by US governmental organizations in 2012 (GASB 2017; U.S. OMB 2018). This government spending represented over 40% of the more than $16 trillion of the 2012 US gross domestic product reported by the US Department of Commerce (GASB 2017).
Tens of thousands of government accountants ...
