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Corruption of the government
Politicians and government corruption
Government corruption
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Political corruption has long been a part of many governments all around the world. Even in the United States, where the equality and ju stice are upheld as important national values, corrupt politicians may still be scheming up new ways to abuse the law for their own benefit. Despite the various provisions and laws set up to deter such underhanded behavior, unscrupulous politicians are still finding loopholes in the system. One of these exploits is lobbying. Lobbying, the act of attempting to influence the decisions of government officials, should be banned to prevent bribery and corruption by large corporations and wealthy individuals.
Lobbyists are people with strong communication who seek the favors of influential people to enact a change in their community. They may achieve this through earnest proposals, petitions, favors, or bribery. From labor unions to the local senior citizen club, lobbyists are found just about everywhere. Many people naturally associate lobbying with the evil, dark side. It is important to know that lobbying itself is not a negative action. In fact, pos...
Lobbyist, hired by a corporation or a business to work for them. Getting paid to win over politicians in exchange for favors. A lobbyist’s job is to spin the truth.There are lobbyist that stray from the rules resulting in corruption. Jack Abramoff is an perfect example of a corrupt lobbyist that everybody loved. He was one of the most notorious lobbyist of our time, he was in the middle of a massive scandal, braze in corruption, and influence peddling. Abramoff became a master of showering gifts on lawmakers and congress left and right in exchange for votes on legislation and tax breaks in favor for his clients. Jack Abramoff was very well at it that he would take home millions of dollars a year. But it all came to an end in January 2006,
Essentially, interest groups use many different tactics to accomplish their central goals but this paper will detail 2 of them. The first being lobbying, which is the act of persuading businesses as well as government leaders to help a specific organization by changing laws or creating events in favor of that group. Interest groups use this technique by hiring someone to represent them and advocate their cause to on the behalf of the entire group. These hired representatives usually have more than enough experience within the political field and are able to persuade connections within the government for help with their concerns. This method gets a lot of criticism because although lobbyist offer their input to government officials on pending laws, they only look at what is favorable for their cause. When trying to make a difference you have to not only reflect on your argument but on the side affects of that argument as
The current use of soft money in the US Governmental elections is phenomenal. The majority of candidates funding comes from soft money donations. Congress has attempted to close these funding loop holes; however they have had little success. Soft money violates standards set by congress by utilizing the loop hole found in the Federal Election Commission’s laws of Federal Campaigns. This practice of campaign funding should be eliminated from all governmental elections.
To avoid further political corruption, Thompson advocates for legislative ethics. The three principles are independence, fairness, and accountability. In Thompson’s terms, independence means “a member should act on reasons relevant to the merits of public policies or reasons relevant to advancing a process that encourages acting on such reasons,” (Thompson p.20). Fairness is officials following organizational regulations. Finally, accountability is a politician keeping public confidence in them. This paper will show that Thompson’s principles are qualified guidelines that legislators should follow. Individual and institutional corruption can decrease if politicians adhere to Thompson’s three principles of independence, fairness, and accountability.
Interest groups, lobbyists, large corporations, and PACs try to influence the congressional committees' bills so they can have a say in the legislative process. When an interest group hears about a bill that is being debated on in a committee, they try to influence a members vote and they try to get a part of the bill changed. For example, a lobbyist came to me on a bill I proposed on making health care plans have no minimum requirement on benefits the company gives to its patients. He told me about how he did not get the right treatments and tests done on diseases he has and now is suffering badly from them. It was because the health plan did not have to give him anything extra. He changed my mind on the bill, and I changed the bill to setting a minimum standard on benefits given to patients.
In the United States 2.2 million citizens are incarcerated on felony charges. Laws in America prohibit felons from voting. As a result, on Election Day 5.3 million citizens of America are disenfranchised because of crimes they once committed. Though they once broke the law, they have served their time and have been punished adequately in accordance with the American Justice System. Felons should regain full voting rights after their stint in prison.
The issue of campaign financing has been discussed for a long time. Running for office especially a higher office is not a cheap event. Candidates must spend much for hiring staff, renting office space, buying ads etc. Where does the money come from? It cannot officially come from corporations or national banks because that has been forbidden since 1907 by Congress. So if the candidate is not extremely rich himself the funding must come from donations from individuals, party committees, and PACs. PACs are political action committees, which raise funds from different sources and can be set up by corporations, labor unions or other organizations. In 1974, the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) requires full disclosure of any federal campaign contributions and expenditures and limits contributions to all federal candidates and political committees influencing federal elections. In 1976 the case Buckley v. Valeo upheld the contribution limits as a measure against bribery. But the Court did not rule against limits on independent expenditures, support which is not coordinated with the candidate. In the newest development, the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling from April 2014 the supreme court struck down the aggregate limits on the amount an individual may contribute during a two-year period to all federal candidates, parties and political action committees combined. Striking down the restrictions on campaign funding creates a shift in influence and power in politics and therefore endangers democracy. Unlimited campaign funding increases the influence of few rich people on election and politics. On the other side it diminishes the influence of the majority, ordinary (poor) people, the people.
Reformation on the funding of political campaigns has been an ongoing battle between trying to create an equal and democratic balance of representation for the people and the rich and powerful who have succeeded in using the media to control those people. With The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1972 and the establishment of the Federal Election Commission in 1975, steps were taken to hold the wealthy and public officials accountable for corruption and to try and prevent it. Though the act could be viewed as a positive sign of peaceful evolution in the direction o...
From conception in the Magna Carta 1215, juries have become a sacred constitutional right in the UK’s justice system, with the independence of the jury from the judge established in the R v. Bushel’s case 1670. Although viewed by some as a bothersome and an unwelcomed duty, by others it is perceived to be a prized and inalienable right, and as Lord Devlin comments ‘ trial by jury is more than an instrument of justice and more than one wheel of the constitution : it is the lamp that shows freedom lives.’ It is arguable that juries bring a ‘unique legitimacy’ to the judicial process, but recently it seems that their abolition may be the next step forward for the UK in modernising and making the judicial system more effective. Many argue that jurors lack the expertise and knowledge to make informed verdicts, along with views that external forces are now influencing juries more heavily, especially after the emergence of the internet and the heavy presence it now has on our lives. Yet, corruption within the jury system is also internal, in that professionals and academics may ‘steamroll’ others during deliberations about the case. These factors, coupled with the exorbitant costs that come along with jury trials creates a solid case for the abolition of juries. On the other hand though, the jury system carries many loyal supporters who fear its abolition may be detrimental to society. Academics and professionals such as John Morris QC state that; 'it may well not be the perfect machine, but it is a system that has stood the test of time.’ Juries ensure fair-practice within the courtroom, and although controversial, they have the power to rule on moral and social grounds, rather than just legal pre...
The “advocacy explosion” in the United States in the 20th century has been caused by the extreme increase in the number of interest groups in the United States. The general public views the increase and the groups themselves as a cancer that has come to the body of American politics and is spreading. The explosion in the number of interest groups and interest group members and finances has had an effect on the decline of the American political party and partisanship, the effect on democracy and the public interest, and the bias that has come with interest group competition.
Lobbying involves more than persuading legislators. Professional lobbyists investigate and examine legislation or dogmatic proposals, are present at congressional hearings, and teach government officials and company officers on imperative issues. Lobbyists in addition work to transform public opinion all the way through advertising campaigns or by control 'opinion leaders'. There are approximately 30,000 recorded lobbyists, other than that does not comprise the public relations experts, marketers, support personnel pollsters, and others who support their work. The majority lobbyists are hard–working professionals who comprehend how to find the way the political process, gain access to lawmakers and main executive–branch officials, and construct a strategy to accomplish their legislative objective. Whether or not you like the renowned place they engage in our system, lobbyists have turn out to be such an essential part of...
Many people argue that the legislative branch is run by few big interest groups because of their massive contributions against very small contributions from individuals. In a democratic society, power must be shared equally among its citizens, but is that the case in the United States? The answer is simply no, and by limiting their overall spending on elections, policymakers will listen and pay more attention to the public interest over the special interest. Also, by revealing the freeloaders’ names, people will have more knowledge of who is representing them and who has tended to benefit those who made contributions to their campaigns. Finally, prohibiting the spending on food, entertainment and gifts to legislative branch employee will also reduce the corruption in the legislative
...k for big business, a private individual, or even the public. The goals and strategies are the same for all lobbyist. Foremost, they must be very good at the art of persuasion, the mainstay of their job. They figure out how to sway politicians to vote on legislation in a way that favors the interest they represent. In our American democracy, people that are not elected representatives shape the laws of our country. If we continue down this path, our democracy will also one day be extinct. We need to get back to the roots of democracy and remember what the true meaning is. Power to the People!
Interest groups are associations of individuals or organizations that on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor usually by lobbying members of the government. Interest groups influence on policy making is not a corrupt or illegitimate activity per se, but a key element of the decision-making process. However, disproportionate and opaque interest group influence may lead to administrative corruption, undue influence, and state capture, favoring particular interest groups at the expense of public interest. Transparency is thus key to ensure that policy-makers do not give preferential treatment for specific interest groups. Regulations on lobbying, Conflict of interest, asset.
The platonic tradition of public service, as described by Lewis, is to serve society solely without regards to outside influence including their own self-interests or financial incentives. Lewis defines political judgment as, “…to spot a private interest masquerading as a public good” (p. 527). With this, the interference of business on government can have a large impact with corporations pushing policy in a certain course. Thus, it can be argued that the consideration of business in public administration is important in understanding outside motives to governmental actions. Business’s lobbying in the White House is an example of business influence on policy formation. If incentives are provided, government will sway in a particular direction. Furthermore, the concept of a two party political system demonstrates how personal interests and moral codes are embedded in the political system.