Jessica Wolfe Professor Wolcott Literature Review and Project Proposal 15 November 2013 !

e Role of "orruption in #ifferent Levels of $overnment Introduction: Levels of government in relation to political corruption Political "orruption is t!e use of power b% &overnment officials for ille&itimate private &ain' "orruption in &overnment is somet!in& t!at !as occurred ever since t!e Jefferson()amilton se* scandals of 1++2' ,an% researc!ers !ave devoted t!eir entire careers to t!e stud% of &overnmental corruption tr%in& to answer w!% it !appens -#r' ,ic!ael ,c&rat!. #r' Robert Roberts. #r' /lina ,un&iu(Pippidi. #r' Peter 0o%er. Joe 1lein. #r' Riccardo Pu&lisi. and #r' James 2n%der3' "orruption is also seen as relative dependin& on t!e t%pe and si4e of t!e &overnment' 5t is ar&ued t!at bi&&er &overnment brin&s bi&&er or more serious forms of corruption -1lein. 20133' !ere are man% different forms of political corruption' 2uc! forms include bribes. ille&al &ratuities. e*tortion. embe44lement. nepotism. and patrona&e s%stems' !ere is also a 2012 "orruption 5nde* w!ic! ran6s countries and territories based on !ow corrupt t!e%7re perceived to be' 2tates wit! a score closer to 0 are more corrupt and t!ose wit! a score closer to 100 are less corrupt' 8ut of 1+9 countries. t!e :nited 2tates is ran6ed 1+t! wit! a score of +3#enmar6. ;inland. and New <ealand bein& t!e least corrupt scorin& =0s' 2o w!% is t!e so called >$reatest "ountr% in t!e World? not up t!ere wit! #enmar6. ;inland. and New <ealand@ !ese political scientists use man% different tools and studies in an effort to answer t!is ver% Auestion' !ese studies !ave allowed us to e*amine political corruption on two different levels' !ese two levels are local and national &overnment' 5f t!ere is indeed a correlation between t!e

Wolfe 2

si4e of &overnment and t!e e*tremit% of corruption in t!at &overnment t!en would t!e ne*t step be t!e abilit% to predict corruption@ !ese findin&s !ave proved &round(brea6in& in t!e discourse communit% of political science'

Political corruption in local government Local &overnment is defined as t!e administration of a particular town. count%. or district. wit! representatives elected b% t!ose w!o live t!ere' News covera&e on corruption in local &overnment is rarel% made into national news' )owever. t!is fact does not mean t!at it is not !appenin&' 5n 2010 t!e small cit% of 0ell. "alifornia. cit% mana&er Robert Ri44o and constituents were all prosecuted on terms of corruption' Reporters discovered Ri44o !ad awarded !imself. wit! t!e !elp of ot!ers. a B+C+.D3+ salar%' !is scandal. compared to ot!ers t!at occurred in 2010. went almost undetected -,c$rat!. 20133' / cit% mana&er ma6in& almost double t!e salar% of t!e President of t!e :nited 2tates in one of t!e smallest cities of "alifornia barel% made t!e news' !is level of corruption on suc! a small scale is was apparentl% not somet!in& t!at an%one !ad predicted' Reporters concluded t!e onl% si&n t!e public !ad seen was t!eir propert% ta* rate. !i&!er t!an t!e rate of 0everl% )ills' Political 2cientists !ave !%pot!esi4ed t!at corruption in local &overnment ma% even s!ow more cases of corruption t!at state and national' W!en %ou are a cit% mana&er or ma%or. %ou are in less of a spotli&!t t!an sa% t!e President' !e fact of not bein& as closel% observed b% t!e public and t!e media can pla% a si&nificant role in !ow muc! one t!in6s t!e% can &et awa% wit!' > !e main findin& is t!at t!ere is a stron& correlation between t!e partisan leanin& of newspapers

Wolfe 3

as measured b% t!eir endorsement be!avior and t!e partisan bias in t!eir covera&e of political scandals'? -Pu&lisi. 2n%der. =9+3

Political corruption in national government !e words national &overnment and corruption !ave almost become s%non%mous' 5t seems t!at no one President. 2enate or )ouse of Representatives member can be viewed as politicall% moral -0o%er. 20113' W!ereas in local &overnment a leader can &et awa% wit! corruption for e*tended periods of time. if t!e% are even cau&!t at all. a member of t!e :nited 2tates National $overnment !as all e%es turned towards t!em' Websites !ave even been dedicated to list all scandals occurrin& in Was!in&ton #'"' accordin& to t!eir %ear and e*tremit% of corruption' 1lein -20133 discusses w!ere t!e blame of corruption in t!e W!ite )ouse falls' 8f course t!e man w!o ta6es t!e brunt of all !its is t!e President. now 0ara6 8bama' 1lein even su&&ests a >total over!aul? of t!e &overnment. to start from scratc!' / dilemma brou&!t up about corruption on a national level s!ines a li&!t on !ow corrupt leaders are &overnin& corrupt citi4ens' -Roberts. 20123 !e most common forms of corruption in national &overnment include bribes. ille&al &ratuities. and embe44lement' !ose same con&ressmen passin& jud&ment on civilians w!o !ave committed crimes suc! as t!ese ma% or !ave committed t!ese same crimes t!emselves'

Conclusions

Wolfe 4

Political corruption is a ver% t!orou&!l% studied topic in all t!ose associated or interested in t!e discourse communit% of Political 2cience' !is topic of politics. specificall% corruption wit!in politics. !as been researc!ed e*tensivel% b% countless people' )owever. it is an inconclusive topic' 5 do not believe t!ere will ever be a da% w!en political corruption will be foreseeable. onl% t!at it is somet!in& t!at seems to &o !and(in(!and' No &overnment is one !undred percent morall% sound' Even #enmar6. ;inland. and New <ealand do not !ave perfect &overnments' !ere is no suc! t!in&F not even in 8rlando. ;lorida' 5n a ran6in& of most corrupt to least corrupt. out of t!e fift% states. ;lorida is ran6ed 1C' /lt!ou&! t!ere is researc! into corruption in t!e state of ;lorida. t!ere is ver% little researc! done into corruption in t!e 8rlando cit% &overnment' 8rlando is one of t!e bi&&est tourism locations in t!e world as well as !ome to w!at will soon be t!e lar&est attended universit% in t!e countr%' /n% corruption !appenin& in 8rlando would impact a ver% lar&e number of people. not just 8rlando citi4ens' 5t is ver% import t!at an% possible instances of corruption be researc!ed and sou&!t out' 8ne wa% of accomplis!in& t!is ma% be to obtain fundin& in order to !ave a &roup of !i&!l% Aualified non(partisan anal%sts anal%4in& data of candidates runnin& for cit% office positions' 5f t!ese anal%sts are able to ta6e a closer loo6 into not onl% t!e candidate7s foundational beliefs and runnin& promises but also w!o t!e% &et t!eir fundin& from and if t!at is in line wit! w!at t!e% stand for. we ma% be able to &et a better !old on corruption'

References

Wolfe 5

Roberts. Robert' G !e 2upreme "ourt /nd ;ederal Prosecution 8f 2tate /nd Local $overnment "orruption'G Public 5nte&rit% 19'9 -20123H 3==(912' /cademic 2earc! Premier' Web' 1D 8ct' 2013' ,un&iu(Pippidi. /lina' G"ontrollin& "orruption !rou&! "ollective /ction'G Journal 8f #emocrac% 29'1 -20133H 101(115' /cademic 2earc! Premier' Web' 1C 8ct' 2013' ,c$rat!. ,ic!ael' GLessons 8f 0ell. "alifornia'G National Civic Review 102'1 -20133H 51( 59' Academic Search Premier' Web' 20 8ct' 2013' 0o%er. Peter J' G !e Won6 W!o 2la%s Was!in&ton'G Newsweek 15C'21 -20113H 32(3+' Academic Search Premier' Web' 20 8ct' 2013' 1lein. Joe' G2ortin& 8ut !e 2candals'G Time 1C1'20 -20133H 23(29' Academic Search Premier' Web' 20 8ct' 2013' ;lavin. Patric6. and Ric!ard Ledet' GReli&ion /nd $overnment "orruption 5n !e /merican 2tates'G Public Integrity 15'9 -20133H 32=(399' Academic Search Premier' Web' 20 8ct' 2013' Pu&lisi. Riccardo. and James ,' 2n%der' GNewspaper "overa&e 8f Political 2candals'G Journal O Politics +3'3 -20113H =31(=50'Academic Search Premier' Web' 20 8ct' 2013'