Power Leads to Corruption Essay Example
“Power makes individuals corrupt”
“Corruption is when people in positions of entrusted power abuse their power for their own personal gains [or to fulfill the agendas of the group they represent]” (Transparency International). Lord Acton, a nineteenth century historian, argued that power is the root cause of corruption. The more power one has, the more corrupt one is likely to become ("Biography of Lord Acton."). Although some commentators argue that there is no correlation between power and corruption, however Lord Acton was right because power makes individuals egocentric, makes the powerful less sympathetic towards those who are inferior, and makes a person hypocrite.
First of all, power is such a tool that it makes individuals egocentric. The standard of living brought by power for its bearer is hard to quit. Most of the time powerful individuals enjoy pleasures of life which are the by-product of the power they hold and to enjoy the same pleasures of life, powerful individuals use measures and policies which benefit only the powerful people. For example, the budget of President House in Pakistan was set at Rs. 482.63 million for the fiscal year 2011-2012. President Asif Ali Zardari’s salary was Rs. 1 million. Besides other expenses, entertainment and gifts allowances were set at Rs. 15.8 million. Rs. 24.63 million were apportioned just for the conveyance and motor car expenses of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and that is covers only 2.08% of the total budget of Prime Minister’s Secretariat i.e. Rs. 1.18 billion (Ali, Kalbe. "Areas That Matter Most."). These statistics shows that the life enjoyed by powerful politicians and rulers is beyond the scope of an ordinary person, principally because of the income that is generated due to position of authority. So after coming into power these individuals try to make money which would ensure the same living standard once they lose their power. The policies they formulate are for their own interest and not for the
“Corruption is when people in positions of entrusted power abuse their power for their own personal gains [or to fulfill the agendas of the group they represent]” (Transparency International). Lord Acton, a nineteenth century historian, argued that power is the root cause of corruption. The more power one has, the more corrupt one is likely to become ("Biography of Lord Acton."). Although some commentators argue that there is no correlation between power and corruption, however Lord Acton was right because power makes individuals egocentric, makes the powerful less sympathetic towards those who are inferior, and makes a person hypocrite.
First of all, power is such a tool that it makes individuals egocentric. The standard of living brought by power for its bearer is hard to quit. Most of the time powerful individuals enjoy pleasures of life which are the by-product of the power they hold and to enjoy the same pleasures of life, powerful individuals use measures and policies which benefit only the powerful people. For example, the budget of President House in Pakistan was set at Rs. 482.63 million for the fiscal year 2011-2012. President Asif Ali Zardari’s salary was Rs. 1 million. Besides other expenses, entertainment and gifts allowances were set at Rs. 15.8 million. Rs. 24.63 million were apportioned just for the conveyance and motor car expenses of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and that is covers only 2.08% of the total budget of Prime Minister’s Secretariat i.e. Rs. 1.18 billion (Ali, Kalbe. "Areas That Matter Most."). These statistics shows that the life enjoyed by powerful politicians and rulers is beyond the scope of an ordinary person, principally because of the income that is generated due to position of authority. So after coming into power these individuals try to make money which would ensure the same living standard once they lose their power. The policies they formulate are for their own interest and not for the