Corruption And Corruption

There is a famous quote by David Brin which states: “It is said that power corrupts. But actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.” This quote means that not everyone can be corrupted, but sometimes, people are too weak to handle the pressure. Additionally, power comes in many forms, but one way that really stands out is when it boils down to influence on other people. Furthermore, in real life and in novels, power often corrupts people and characters. In both the novels Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, power has the ability to bring out the worst qualities in human nature in the antagonists, a concept that can be also be applied.

Leadership and trust can fall into the same category when it comes to gaining power. This is perhaps the best way to earn power. This form of power is usually positive, unlike the latter two, fear

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.

Tulia, a small town in Texas of just under five-thousand people, is a frightening example of how the judicial system is governed solely by racism as well as one corrupt man’s word. In 1999, nearly ten percent of the town’s African American population was arrested in a single drug bust. Of the forty-six people arrested, thirty-eight were African-American, furthermore all were convicted. The remaining seven arrested where know to associate more with the black community than the white in Tulia as well. With the towns income levels averaging at or below the poverty line, most arrested could not afford to hire a good attorney that cared or had the time to care, left therefore with one provided by the state. Consequently, convictions were up to ninety years in jail for allegedly selling three and a half grams, more commonly known as an eight ball, of cocaine in drug-free zones. In was only on appeals, that the convictions where revoked on insubstantial evidence.

The actions of a powerful individual can be psychological interpreted with a single statement: “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The general idea of power is to show leadership amongst a community, but there are distinctly two types of power a leader has. A socialized influence which benefits the community or a personalized power that results in the personal gain of the leader. The corruption of power occurs when a leader, whether it is subconscious or not, allows personalized power to dominate their socialized influence. Robert Penn Warren uses All the King’s Men to illustrate that power is corrupting and results in the destruction of political machines through the ideological views of Willie Stark, the unethical decisions he is compelled

Throughout history, there have been many systems of government that have been created, and have revolutionised todays modern forms of government. Democracy, Monarchy, Dictatorship, Theocracy, and Anarchy all use various, unique techniques on how to run a civilization. Each of them require different leadership traits in order for it to work properly.

Power and corruption are concepts that are difficult to fully understand. Several controversies occur within these topics. There are both conventional and unconventional ways of viewing power. In an attempt to make a claim contrary to common belief, David Brin stated, “It is said that power corrupts, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible.” This statement is not accurate because power is the corrupting device responsible for a plethora of downfalls leaders have experienced.

Tacitus, the famous Roman historian once said,”The lust for power is the most flagrant of all the passions.” This quote proves that power and status have often been the goals of many individuals around the world since the beginning of mankind. Whether it be Kings, Queens, politicians, or workers trying to climb the corporate ladder, power is something that many strive for, but few ever achieve. Many people longing for power are willing to go to great lengths to attain it, which is not bad. The problem with power occurs when, otherwise good people, end up doing bad things such as murder, cheat, and steal.

There are four by which a leader can influence sub-ordinate workers. These are the following. (i) power influence (ii) Trait (iii) Behavior and (iv) Contingency and situational.

When given, or exposed to power, people may become corrupt. In J. J. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring it is shown that when people are tempted or given power they may become corrupt. We can see this through the characters Frodo Baggins; the bearer of a powerful ring, Gollum, the previous bearer, and lastly it is shown through Bilbo Baggins another bearer.

1. Abudi, Gina. (August 26, 2011). The 5 Types of Power in Leadership. The Fast Track. September 30, 2012. Retrieved From http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2011/08/26/the-5-types-of-power-in-leadership/.

A cycle of corruption will lead to an unjust world filled with inequality.. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power” (Abraham Lincoln). Power is one of the strongest and most influential components in society. Ultimate power has proven itself to be fatal to leaders and the influence over their nation. People corrupt the power position through blind loyalty, gullibility, and deception.

The classic, somewhat modern, example of corruption due to power is the rise of German chancellor, Adolf Hitler, to power in Germany in 1933. Germany’s political atmosphere prior to Hitler’s rise stood on shaky legs and yearned for someone to take control of the post World War I political mayhem. In this scenario, the German people assumed the role of powerless people and no longer desired

It is important for managers to understand the sources of power and influence as they must rely upon the cooperation of subordinates in order to be successful. Strong managers rely upon more than just authority they also use leadership skills and power to obtain the most productivity from their staff. According to French and Raven (1959) there are five sources of power. Referent power seems to be the most influential and the least affected by change. To quote Paul Argenti,

xii). Although rather obvious that the higher level of leaders have a commanding subculture, rank is not the only condition, the reach of this group offers a substantial aspect to its power. Leaders at the highest levels of organizations control a more considerable territory – internal and external – and a greater number of employees.