Politics Is Fueled By Corruption

An individual who’s influenced by power, control and corruption is often the king that chooses how the game is played. In Marele Day’s novel, The life and Crimes of Harry Lavender uses a variety of plots, settings and characteristic features that display how power and corruption can influence an individual’s superiority over an entire city.

“Corruption, improper and usually unlawful conduct intended to secure a benefit for oneself or another its forms include bribery, extortion, and the misuse of inside information. It exists where there is community indifference or a lack of enforcement policies.”(Encyclopedia Britannica). Today political Corruption in all forms exists in every country in the world. In some countries it is more prominent then in others, but no matter where you go it still occurs. Recently in mid 2013 some political corruption was brought to light in New York. “Since 2007, state senators have been more likely to be arrested then to lose their seats in a general election,” (New York Public Interest Research group). In April of 2013 New York State

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.

Some of the characters in the story wanted power but are not willing to do it the appropriate way. Without a doubt, these characters are devious, conniving, back stabbing people. Time and time after they did unimaginable efforts to gain power. More, Brutes and others slaughtered

The Progress movement or as many refer to as the Progressive era, was a time frame where Americans joined in varying groups to advocate reform across the United States. To elaborate, Progressives believed in widespread change for child labor, industrialization, government, racial reform, and women’s rights. Countless stories of corruption in these areas were brought to light in the Progressive era mostly due to the published writings of Muckrakers. Muckrakers, were journalists who wrote for popular magazines that attempted to expose corrupt political activities from their investigative journalism. Furthermore, I will discuss and compare these groups and their attempts for changes in the rights of child labor, women, acknowledgment of corrupt government practices, racial relations, and industrialization reform.

Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. In other words, as one obtains more and more power, he or she tends to take advantage of this power, ultimately resulting in a morality change. Elie Wiesel, the author of the memoir Night, shares his story about the Holocaust. Throughout the memoir, Wiesel talks about power and how those with more of it, tend to show greater immorality. The quote, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men," by John Dalberg-Acton means that a person’s morality decreases as their power increases.

“All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law” This quote from Theodore Roosevelt illustrates how corporate money can be disastrous when involved in election cycles. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that companies and Super PAC’s could donate unlimited amount of money to support candidates. The Citizens United ruling has caused increased political corruption in the United States by giving candidates the money they need to win an election while changing policies that would be beneficial to the company.

Instead, the role is arguably given to Willie Stark, the governor of an unnamed Southern state during the 1930’s. Warren characterizes Willie as determined politician who blackmails his opponents (e.g. Judge Irwin), manipulates the media through the Chronicle, and runs nearly a aspects of state politics, resembling a ‘king’ (hence the title of the novel). Thus, he is ‘the king’ of the novel. The phrase ‘all of the king’s men’ consists of the townsfolk, local politicians, and other minor characters who may view Willie as a role

Political corruption is when governments abuse their powers for illegitimate purposes. Political corruption was evident in World War II by Hitler government because Hitler spoke to mass audiences to tell them to hate Jews and Communists, and to make a new German Empire that would rule for thousands of years. This connects to the novel Famous Last Words because Hitler makes a corrupted government and a group of people attempt to make a new government to take over. In his novel, Famous Last Words, Timothy Findley shows political corruption through the decisions and types of governments and how it affected people during World War II. These suggest that Findley wants to tell the reader that political corruption can make people want to create their own government to overthrow the existing government. The Characters the Duke of Windsor and a man called Von Ribbentrop make an alliance to make a government to overthrow Hitler’s.

Is there corruption in your government? I am going to argue that the United States government is corrupt.

Political corruption in the United States is present an at least one of the three branches of government in all fifty states but is most common in the Legislative branch. Ending political corruption is nearly impossible because public officials will always find a loophole in the existing laws but reducing corruption is possible. The most efficient way to dramatically reducing political corruption is by targeting the Legislative branch of the United States government. Two members of Congress are trying to exactly do that by proposing a law, At the federal level, that would impose term limits on members of Congress. Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Ron DeSantis are both pushing an amendment to be added to the United States Constitution which would impose term limits on members of the House of Representative and the Senate. Political corruption in the legislative branch of the federal government is a problem because members of Congress will favor special interest rather than their constituent. A law that was passed at the federal level to try solving this problem is the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act” and a proposed law at the state level Ohio "Strengthening Term Limits on State Legislators" Amendment but both laws don't go far enough. By Imposing term limits on Congress it will help reduce political corruption because it will constantly bring new faces to Congress which will make it harder for special interest to have a “grip” on Congress. Congressional term

The United States Federal Government is based off of a system of checks and balances. This system keeps the three branches of government from getting too powerful, but unfortunately, it cannot control the intent of politicians who are working in these branches. Focusing on Congress, we continually see gridlock, ideological polarization, and general dysfunction as a result of lack of proper intention and corruption in our group of representatives.

Living in America people learn to live amongst some of the most corrupt human-being known to humankind. Anyone can be corrupt, weather he or she is a corrupt cook working for Burger King stealing money from the cash register to pay bills, or a corrupt politician who votes to raise his or her earnings while committing white-collar crimes against the American public. Theodore Roosevelt could not have been more precise when he said, “When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer ‘present’ or ‘Not Guilty’.” Corruption has been around for some time in America, and the government has struggled to void this type of behavior when it comes to politicians. The government’s use of the FBI for investigations, the media

_party incontives and sanctions for or against loyla and disloyal party members appears to be central to the control of the lefislature by the excutive in emerging democracies.

Political corruption has existed throughout the ages. It believed to be most prominent in positions of power, because of the role money plays in getting people power. However, over the centuries, corruption has changed so much so as to not match a particular definition of corruption, perpetually growing deceptively harder to find (Ebbe).