Better Than Good Enough for Government Work

Three episodes in the 34-year career of a cartographer at the US State Department illustrate how ethics can inform, or intrude on, mapping for foreign policy. While US federal government cartography is guided by international law, political disputes and how they are handled put the cartographer in a position to inform and possibly influence an ethical policy. Or not. This article will explore instances in which mapping ethics get discussed, tested, and resolved in a foreign policy environment.