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Article: Corruption, Political
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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CORRUPTION, POLITICAL
CORRUPTION, POLITICAL.
Three major areas of political corruption are worth noting. First, bribery is clearly an example. Second, some people claim that certain government practices such as patronage, while legal, might be suspect. This definition sets a very high standard for political propriety. The conflict-of-interest definition
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use of public office for personal gain, usually money
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is a third aspect of political corruption. This is an ethical issue dealing with the premise that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Corruption, therefore, is a catchall expression for illegal as well as ethically questionable behaviors. Ironically, ...