Political Corruption in
America
By Michele Marie Tate
Political corruption has been a problem
since the first European settlers arrived in America. From officials to
politicians, laws are circumvented to obtain riches and/or power. If you search today’s newspaper
headlines, articles about bribes, fraud, and illegal tactics can be found in
all levels of government. Right now this includes two U.S. senators and a state
governor.
This threatens our democracy and the
American people’s overall confidence in city, state and federal officials. It undermines the legitimacy of
government and the ethics we trust. Political corruption can be defined as
bribery, graft, extortion, robbery, patronage, conflict of interest, and
kickbacks.
Many of these issues are a
part of my epic historical novel Blood,
Money, Power. When elected
officials enrich themselves using the availability of their office they break
the law of our American Constitution.
From our highest office of the President, to the local Sheriff, past
scandals have darkened the reputations of those who have crossed the line of
the law. An example of this can be
found in my book Blood, Money, Power, which
was inspired by a true story.
Many of these crimes go unpunished. Sometimes the evidence is destroyed or
the person’s involved are murdered to cover-up unscrupulous deeds. Why have Americans turned their cheeks
to this injustice?
As citizens we pay taxes,
enjoy certain freedoms and are expected to behave morally and ethically in our
society. Our expectation of
government is to keep us safe, show leadership in crisis and follow those same
rules. Do you believe this is the
case today?
When out-of-control drug cartels, organized crime and blatant injustices
thrive in our society, it screams the fact that something is seriously wrong
with our system.
Previous reforms like the Pendleton Act of
1883, to create a federal civil service to cope with patronage problems, the
Select Committee on standards and conduct for members of Congress and the 1978
Ethics in government Act, created to investigate government misconduct, have
reduced these crimes. Though questionable lobbyist behaviors still seems to go
unchecked.
Somehow we hesitate to believe that
political corruption is as much a crime as the shady criminal who robs your
local convenience store. The main difference is our corrupt political officials
are undermining our economic development and increasing the need for higher
taxes.
Political corruption affects the United
States at every level. It
increases the cost of business and reduces the quality of government
services. It can effect the
personal lives of all those involved.
The consequences if remained unchecked can last for decades like the
story of Otto Preston, a political icon for three decades, in Blood, Money, Power. Greed combined with
power set the stage for these acts to follow.
Political sex scandals
can also compromise our trust in government officials. This breach of ethics can lead to charges of perjury,
obstruction of justice, bribes, withholding evidence and contempt of court. This is usually covered up as the case with
Otto Preston in my book, Blood, Money,
Power.
Corruption in the Legislative branch
of government reduces accountability and distorts representation in policy
making. Corruption in the judiciary branch of government compromises the rule
of law and when in public administration it can result in a lack of
transparency and loss of trust.
We need to be more alert and
conscious as an American public to local, state and federal corruption. To understand what motivates someone to
commit this crime, you can read the book, Blood,
Money, Power