‘Is corruption bad because of its effects or because it is wrong in itself?’
To set up the stage for discussing this question I would clarify the definition of corruption assumed in my essay and emphasize the challenges in identifying corruption despite having legal definitions of corruption and all the mechanisms that are in place right now. For my essay I would stick to the following definition of corruption: the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. This definition is more preferable for answering the question because it is generic and thus can be used to encapsulate all the different forms of corruption, which is quintessential since corruption does occur in public sector and private sector; at local, national and international level;
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Corruption according to me can be classified into 3 types based on the purpose of corruption: corruption to escape punishment, corruption for power or monetary gains, and, corruption as a lubricant. The effects into 2: the effects of corruption and effects of exposure of corruption. The effects of each of these types of corruption and the effects of its exposure can vary based on the situation and actors involved, and can be good or bad. It must be noted here that the effects are bad more often than not, but in short run atleast there can be a shinier side to corruption. For example, when corruption is a lubricant-used by individuals or businesses to break through rigid bureaucracy and red tape. From time to time it may make it is easier to do business for people with money. We can see countries like China and India as an example for this, which are amongst the fastest economies in the world despite rampant and ubiquitous …show more content…
‘ Moral’ is a very subjective word whose definition my vary from individual to individual. If we were to say corruption is bad on moral grounds it would be equal to election candidates’ claims like “If I get your valued vote I will ensure that we have law for reservation of seats for women in universities and government jobs”, as corruption. It is bad because it doesn’t allow people to get the right ‘value’ that they paid for by means of tax and by means of entrusting their vote or in the case of non-democratic governments simply their trust. Even when corruption is acting as a lubricant, what it is doing is hiding is inefficiency. The police is supposed to protect people and municipalities are supposed to provide with functioning roads because they are being paid and financed respectively out of the taxpayers’ money and therefore not entitled to anything more such as special favors or
Political corruption can lead to the downfall of societies because when citizens find out, they won’t have any respect for their government/leaders because of the bad things they do. Lack of respect can cause riots/outbreaks in cities.
The runaway corruption in the country harms the business environment and causes collapse of various established institutions and industries.
In my opinion, corruption cannot be stopped but it can be reduced with the willingness of the people, as I mentioned above there could be plenty of recommendations but it’s all up to that person to put the effort. I think corruption is a choice; we all have voices and rights and if we chose to do unlawful things there is no one to blame but ourselves. However, there is corruption in every field of job out there. Corruption has been around for years and years and it will continue to be there in the future, it’s something that no one can eradicate. All countries around the world are facing corruption even the most powerful developed countries.
Probable Causes of Corruption – Different things motivate different people. Some can motivate people to perform beyond expectations and some can lead astray from moral and ethical values.
Corruption is something that is motivated by greed and fraud. It’s a very threatening personality that controls and destroys people’s lives and makes them the kind of person other people don’t want to associate with.
Politicians many times have been found guilty of corruption. They use unethical techniques to get higher positions in an election, to gain more money, votes or to lay hands on ungotten wealth. Corruption exists in the police force, in law and order and even in the management of the Olympic Games.
Corruption occurs in many forms and several types of corruption are displayed in the movie. To understand some of the corruption and practices seen in the movie we need to look at some of the different types of corruption I have identified. There appear to be four main types (themes) of corruption and each type can be associated with specific characters and the people associated with them. The Characterisation of the individuals in the movie each support one of the types of corruption
Death and decay often convey corruption within a story. The use of this particular imagery allows one to make a connection between the natural world and the nature of people. Throughout Hamlet, a play, set in Denmark, which was written in the early seventeenth century by William Shakespeare, there are several instances where one sees decay depicting corruption. Though this play is filled with massive images of decaying nature, it is also filled with images of nature in its beautiful state. Because Hamlet portrays decaying and developing nature, it shows one that it is possible to maintain a sense of self in a world that strives on corruption.
The body, mind, and soul of an individual are capable of becoming corrupted by power. Power makes one feel as if that person was a God, which is a sign of the corruption in that individual. According to Lord Actin, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," states that power can make an individual vulnerable to corruption. The second portion of Lord Actin?s quote discusses absolute power corrupting absolutely which implies that absolute power can corrupt an individual as well as the individual?s surroundings. This idea of corruption can be located in fictional novels such as Animal Farm by George Orwell. Animal Farm is a story about animals dictated by a former animal comrade. The dictator in the novel, Napoleon, became corrupted when he became leader. In addition, the quote can be applied to real life situations such as the dictatorship that lurked in Iraq. Iraq was dictated by a man named Saddam Hussein for over twenty-four years. Another real life situation was when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis dictated Germany and attempted to wipe out the Jewish population. Animal Farm, an allegoric story, is comparable to real life corruption caused by power. The animals in the novel portray real life dictators who have led in the real world such as Napoleon representing a dictator named Joseph Stalin. By examining dictators such as Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Napoleon from Animal Farm, one can see that the abuse of power can lead one to corruption.
After reading the article on illegal and legal corruption in the United States, I can definitely say that I agree with the statement, “Although corruption is not endemic in America as it is in several other countries, it does exist”. Legal and illegal corruption is occurring everywhere in America as the rich and powerful are destroying U.S democracy for corporate and financial interests. Whether it be bankers, politicians, senators; we can safely agree that corruption is running rampant throughout the country. According to the Justice Department, in the last two decades more than 20,000 public officials and private individuals were convicted for crimes related to corruption and more than 5,000 are awaiting trial, the overwhelming majority of cases having originated in state and local governments.
Authority in a society is a necessary evil which when unfettered, results in the abuse of power. Power has long been considered a corrupting and a disrupting force in function and in influence. Underlying motives and greed fuel those who seek to gain and or abuse this power. The Crucible examines this twisted force as it corrupts societies’ clergy, blinds its justices, and empowers those who seek to abuse it. Arthur Miller shows how power can be a corrupting influence and how it can blind the judgment of authoritative figures.
Political instability and corruption is a major impact on growth. The rule of law and appropriate enforcement is needed to create an established system of honesty and loyalty in society. Corruption is people acting in an official capacity of trust and responsibility misusing their position for private gain. When there is this sense of corruption many things are affected. Corruption discourages investment due to lack of business ethics. There is an increase in tax evasion as well as an increase in more “tax burdens” for the poor which is inherently wrong. Corruption leads to an unfair allocation of resources. If contracts go to the highest bidder, as opposed to the most efficient producer, then there is market failure and resources are being misallocated. If often sustains inefficient producers by shielding them from competition. Finally, Corruption means that officials will often divert public investment into capital projects where bribes are more likely. This reduces the quality of government services for the population. The monetary gains from corruption are often moved out of the country. This is a form of capital flight and it reduces the capital available for internal use.
The existence of bribery and unethical behavior is rampant in the world market and may not change overnight. The question of bribery has been distilled in business literature as a question of ethics. In this situation at the airport with the customs officer, it is important to distinguish between business ethics and personal ethics. In a business ethics situation, the Foreign Corruption Practices Act would prohibit offering any bribe to the custom office – for example to free a shipment of goods that was lost in red tape (Pitman & Sanford, 2006). Most companies also have policies against bribery as well. In this situation, however the main issue at hand is that of personal ethics. When in a situation where your company is unknown and there is no business being conducted, normal business ethics and laws (including FCPA) do not apply only personal ethical standards.
Montesh, M. (n.d.). Conceptualizing Corruption: Forms, Causes, Types and Consequences. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from
This essay will attempt to explore the relationship between the two from the definitions, causes, consequences and the solutions. Corruption can be defined as the abuse of public power for private gain. (World Bank, 2004) Corruption is attracting a lot of attention around the world, and is a growing international and regional concern. According to Corruption Around the world (Tanzi, 1998), in its end-of-year editorial on December 31, 1995, The Financial Times characterized 1995 as the year of corruption.