Stark draws on legal moral and political thought to analyze several decades of debate over conflict of interest in american public life he offers new ways of interpreting the controversies about conflict of interest explains their prominence in american political combat and suggests how we might make them less venomous and intractable. Ranging over a wide array of cases andrew stark draws on legal moral and political thought as well as the rhetoric of officeholders and the commentary of journalists to analyze several decades of debate over conflict of interest in american public life. Ranging over a wide array of cases andrew stark draws on legal moral and political thought as well as the rhetoric of officeholders and the commentary of journalists to analyze several decades of debate over conflict of interest in american public life he offers new ways of interpreting the controversies about conflict of interest explains their prominence in american political combat . The perils of prophylactic law the topography of conflict self dealing undue influence abuse of office private payment for public acts private gain from public office the revolving door i the revolving door ii interest bias and ideology limousine liberals country club conservatives on character in american