Introduction
Political ethics refers to the practice of practicing moral judgment with regard to actions, decisions, and behaviors that are associated with political processes (Fredrickson and Rohr 23). There are two main areas of political ethics, namely ethics of process and ethics of policy (Grcic 35). The ethics of the process deals with the methods that public officials apply in the execution of their duties. On the other hand, ethics of policy deal with the judgments that holders of public office make with regard to policies and laws (Grcic 35).
The aforementioned concepts have their basis on moral and political philosophy. One of the most critical issues that contradict the precepts of political ethics is political corruption. Corruption is one of the most destructive challenges that many nations face today. It entails the use of power by government officials for the sole purpose of gaining personal advantages at the expense of national good (Fredrickson and Rohr 26). I chose this topic because political corruption is one of the greatest challenges that developed and developing countries face in today’s society. It has negative consequences that include distortion of public policy, misallocation of resources, embezzlement of public funds, destruction of good governance, and underdevelopment of public and private sectors. Political corruption exists in all countries and harms their systems of economic and political governance through the misuse of power.
Political Corruption
Political corruption refers to the act of misusing power in order to win personal advantages or gains at the expense of public interest (Grcic 18). It includes bureaucratic behaviors that deviate from political ethics, which require government officials to maintain accountability, responsibility, and transparency in their dealings, especially if they involve official duties (Lansford 28). The primary form of political corruption is bribery, which occurs when a government official receives or gives the money in exchange for favors. Other common forms include extortion, influence peddling, graft, funds embezzlement, and nepotism (Garcia 43).
Political corruption has several consequences that affect the quality of governance and the reputation of any government that is associated with corrupt leaders. Common forms of political corruption in developing countries include oppression, rigging during electoral processes, mistreatment of political opponents, and police brutality (Garcia 43).
The state is always a party in political corruption because individuals who misuse power for personal gains are its representatives. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to identify and annihilate all forms of corruption perpetrated by its officials. Political corruption can also be defined as any deviation from the rules of conduct that govern the behavior of individuals who hold public offices (Lansford 29). It takes place between government organizations, public officials and businesses, and private businesses. Most political scientists define political corruption as the conversion of public resources into private resources using illegal means. This implies that state and private sector representatives take part in corrupt activities. A broader definition encompasses the role played by politicians and public representatives through their failure to abide by the rules and codes of conduct that govern their jobs—disregarding political ethics results in unethical action and decisions that constitute corruption.
Causes of Corruption
Political corruption has numerous causes that include economic and political factors, poor systems of governance, and lack of moral ethics by individuals (Garcia 48). Several research studies have shown that corruption decreases as the economic prosperity of a country increases. According to a report released by the World Bank, countries that record high incomes experience lower levels of corruption compared to countries with low incomes. Another cause of corruption is the lack of personal moral ethics on the part of leaders (Lansford 32). People give and receive bribes because of the need to acquire unfair advantages and gains at the expense of other people.
For instance, an individual might offer a bribe in order to pay lower taxes, get a promotion at work, win a government contract, or ascend to power. Politicians engage in corruption for several reasons that include patronage, insurance in case they lose power, and maintenance of certain standards of living. These forms of corruption emanating from the unwillingness of politicians and government agents to follow certain codes of ethics that define their jobs as government officials.
Many countries experience corruption because of poor systems of governance (Harris 47). First, government projects and programs have poor structures and implementation procedures that create loopholes, which encourage officials to engage in corruption. For instance, the need for registration, possession of licenses, and participation in bidding processes encourages corruption. Secondly, many government institutions lack proper accountability and transparency procedures that could aid in annihilating corruption (Garcia 51). For example, few institutions require officials to declare their wealth immediately after ascending to power. Wealth declaration would help to determine whether they are corrupt or not depending on the growth of their riches during their period of service. On the other hand, there is weak enforcement of laws that are enacted to deal with corruption matters (Harris 49).
Law enforcement agencies encourage corruption by failing to apprehend, investigate, and punish individuals who misuse their powers through engagement in dishonest deals (DeLeon 37). In many countries, the legislature is closely affiliated with the ruling party. Therefore, it performs based on the control exerted on it by government officials. Third, poor incentives encourage people to engage in corruption because of the need to make more money to cater to their financial needs (Lansford 33). It is important to offer fair remuneration that matches the responsibilities bestowed on officials. Otherwise, they will use ways that defy ethics to satisfy their needs.
Consequences of Corruption
Corruption has numerous economic and political consequences. It affects economic development negatively by reducing investments from foreign investors, mainly due to the bad reputation it creates (DeLeon 39). Foreign investments are an important aspect of a country’s economic growth because they bring in money and opportunities in the form of foreign exchange. In addition, they improve trade and diplomatic relations between countries. A corrupt country is likely to receive economic sanctions from developed countries and institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (Harris 56). These sanctions affect them negatively because they stall economic growth and erode their reputation in the international arena. Moreover, corruption affects entrepreneurship, taxation policies, local investments, and governance (Teachout, 55).
Poor governance results in poor infrastructure, ineffective development programs, and poor leadership (Harris 57). Corruption affects the private sector adversely by raising the cost of conducting business, promoting unfair competition, and increasing the risk of breach of agreements (DeLeon 40). Several studies have shown that corruption reduces the costs of running businesses by eliminating bureaucracy. However, it results in the introduction of more stringent rules by officials who seek personal gains by misusing their power. Corruption also inflates business costs by favoring firms that have enough connections to manipulate the business playing field through bribes (Harris 58). Unfair competition has adverse effects on economic growth and stability, especially in developing countries.
Environmental destruction is another consequence of corruption because many companies and firms use bribes to circumvent legislation meant to protect the environment (DeLeon 43). This has been observed mainly among huge multinational companies that have both financial and political influence. Other consequences include the prevention of unionization, prevalence of child labor, and violation of human and labor rights (Funderburk 86). These unethical ills occur because firms use money and other financial incentives to manipulate the implementation of certain laws that govern how workers are treated. In addition, many government officials are usually connected with various companies that operate, especially in the private sector (Teachout 58). Therefore, they use their power and influence illegally to protect them and promote their activities.
Corruption has far-reaching consequences, especially on humanitarian aid. A report released by the World Bank indicated that the money offered to develop countries in Africa and Asia is not used for the intended purposes and is instead embezzled through corrupt dealings that involve government officials (DeLeon 46). In many countries, humanitarian aid is diverted from the intended purposes through the manipulation of assessment, registration, and distribution processes. Donations offered for shelter and construction purposes are embezzled through substandard work, favoritism, and issuance of contracts to specific individuals and companies with connections (Funderburk 87).
Government officials use their influence to award contracts to companies that they are affiliated with. Access to aid is sometimes restricted to people of a certain region or ethnic affiliation. Finally, the statistics of needy people are usually manipulated by officials in order for them to receive more aid than necessary. The extra is siphoned into individual accounts.
Politically, corruption affects governance in various ways. The extent of political consequences depends on the type of corruption and ways in which the converted resources are used. In general, political corruption undermines the authority and influence of state institutions, as well as their political role in governing the nation (DeLeon 54). Citizens obey and support political regimes that oppose corruption, promote transparency, and hold officials responsible for their actions. Corruption taints the reputation of the ruling government as well as its leaders. In addition, it undermines democracy and its legitimacy (Harris 64).
This happens through a lack of regard for law and democratic processes. Policymaking is also affected when corruption infiltrates the legislature, judiciary, public administration, and election governing bodies. This form of corruption compromises the rule of law and annihilates responsibility, accountability, and proper provision of government services (Harris 64). The reputation of a government is eroded in case its legal procedures are ignored and disobeyed, as well as if its resources are converted from public to personal uses.
Ways to Combat Corruption
Corruption can be eradicated by forming independent democratic institutions to oversee the activities of government officials. These institutions should be given the power to create rules, policies, and mechanisms to detect and punish corrupt leaders (Funderburk 89). Corruption in many countries is difficult to eradicate because watchdog bodies are part of governments that fund and oversee their activities. It is impossible to end corruption if a government creates a body to end corruption and gain control of its activities through funding. Another strategy that can be used to end corruption is the privatization of government institutions. Corruption is prevalent because of poor governance and a lack of proper mechanisms to oversee the activities of various institutions (Harris 67).
The private sector has well-developed mechanisms that hold officials accountable and require transparency in all transactions conducted on behalf of different organizations (Lansford 66). In addition, power is not localized to one official. It is spread throughout the organization in such a way that a single individual cannot conduct business on behalf of the organization without the knowledge of other stakeholders. The civil society plays an important role in checking governments to ensure that they follow the rule of law (Roberts and Sutch 85). Increasing the involvement of civil societies in governance is also an effective way of combating corruption. Parliaments should also create laws that promote the accountability of officials and that control the processes of resource allocation (Funderburk 90).
Finally, the media should get actively involved in politics in order to ensure that government officials refrain from corruption. The media is very effective in identifying and discouraging corruption during electoral processes (Lansford 67).
Philosophies
Political corruption is addressed under political and moral philosophy. Political philosophy encompasses disciplines such as politics, law, liberty, justice, and law enforcement. It refers to dominant and accepted political beliefs or views regarding politics in society. On the other hand, moral philosophy deals with ethics and how people should act, behave, and live. The two philosophies contain concepts that address the aforementioned political ethics topic of political corruption. Corruption is prevalent because people disregard and disobey the precepts of moral and political philosophy that are critical to the sustenance of any society (Roberts and Sutch 67).
Normative ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that deals with the creation of a moral framework that determines good and bad behavior. This concept is used to create political ethics that govern the behaviors and actions of government officials.
Conclusion
Corruption is a political ethics issue that is important, especially due to its effects on the governance of both developed and developing nations. Its major causes include poor systems of governance, lack of individual ethics, greed for economic prosperity, lack of proper incentives, slow judicial processes, and lack of transparency and accountability by government officials. Forms of political corruption include funds embezzlement, graft, and fraud. Corruption has severe consequences on governments and citizens. It discourages and reduces foreign investments, erodes the legitimacy and reputation of governments, demeans democracy, and promotes poor governance. Moreover, it promotes environmental destruction, encourages unfair competition in the business sector, and enhances poverty by diverting humanitarian aid to serve individual interests.
It can be annihilated by creating independent watchdog institutions to oversee government activities, increasing the participation of civil societies and the media in politics, and using the parliament to create laws that control resource allocation. The privatization of government institutions would increase accountability and improve governance. Poor governance systems are primarily responsible for creating cultures that encourage corruption through weak enforcement of laws and insufficient remuneration of officials. Corruption undermines the tenets of moral and political philosophy. These philosophies determine god and bad actions and encompass concepts such as justice, law, politics, and morality.
Works Cited
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