Public Policy Practices in Defense of Government Ethics During the Years 2002–2018. A State-of-the-Art Approach

Introduction: This article focuses on documenting, through the state of the art, the management of public policies in Colombia related to government ethics during the period 2002-2018. Methodology: The research was conducted using a qualitative approach and a descriptive scope, using the content analysis technique applied to 32 official documents and government reports selected for their relevance to the study variables: governance, ethics, and corruption. Results: The results show that public policies regarding taxation, governance, and infrastructure development vary significantly depending on the political cycle and the level of ethical commitment of each administration, reflecting inconsistencies in the continuity of ethical standards between governments. Conclusions: It is concluded that the scarcity of resources to address social, financial, and administrative needs is exacerbated by the lack of sustainable governance practices and the level of corruption present in each government period, directly affecting the effectiveness and legitimacy of public policies. This study reaffirms the decisive influence of political cycles on government ethics, highlighting the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms and continuity in public policies to consolidate ethical and effective governance in Colombia.