Political Corruption
Role of Family in controlling corruption
“Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey or the poison that finds itself at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up, at least a bit of the King’s revenue. Just as fish under water cannot possibly be found out either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out taking money.”
Kautilya, 300 B.C.
The term “corruption” comes from the Latin word corruptio which means “moral decay, wicked behavior, putridity or rottenness”. Defining the concept corruption is not as easy as one recognizes its occurrence. Despite its long history, there is no single universally agreed upon definition of corruption. Transparency International (TI) defines corruption as ‘misuse of entrusted power for private gain’. It varies from region to region and remains largely contextual. Literature unanimously recognizes that corruption is an ancient, wide and pervasive problem, that continues to be a factor in every-day live around the world, in both developed and underdeveloped countries. As the causes and effects of corruption are different depending on the context of the country, it is perhaps not surprising that it is difficult to formulate a single comprehensive definition that covers all the manifestations of corruption. Corruption is an enemy of development and prosperity. It robs the people, especially the poor, of their rights to economic well-being by diverting resources away from economics and social development. Moreover, its causes, forms and impacts are diverse and multi-faceted.
Understanding corruption by itself is a complex undertaking. However, it is agreed that corruption is inimical to public administration, undermines democracy, degrades the moral fabrics of the society and violates human rights. The pain of corruption touches all the human family but it disproportionately affects the vulnerable sections of
“Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey or the poison that finds itself at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up, at least a bit of the King’s revenue. Just as fish under water cannot possibly be found out either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out taking money.”
Kautilya, 300 B.C.
The term “corruption” comes from the Latin word corruptio which means “moral decay, wicked behavior, putridity or rottenness”. Defining the concept corruption is not as easy as one recognizes its occurrence. Despite its long history, there is no single universally agreed upon definition of corruption. Transparency International (TI) defines corruption as ‘misuse of entrusted power for private gain’. It varies from region to region and remains largely contextual. Literature unanimously recognizes that corruption is an ancient, wide and pervasive problem, that continues to be a factor in every-day live around the world, in both developed and underdeveloped countries. As the causes and effects of corruption are different depending on the context of the country, it is perhaps not surprising that it is difficult to formulate a single comprehensive definition that covers all the manifestations of corruption. Corruption is an enemy of development and prosperity. It robs the people, especially the poor, of their rights to economic well-being by diverting resources away from economics and social development. Moreover, its causes, forms and impacts are diverse and multi-faceted.
Understanding corruption by itself is a complex undertaking. However, it is agreed that corruption is inimical to public administration, undermines democracy, degrades the moral fabrics of the society and violates human rights. The pain of corruption touches all the human family but it disproportionately affects the vulnerable sections of
References: Detail from Corrupt Legislation (1896) by Elihu Vedder. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. Conditions favorable for corruption[edit] This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, ifappropriate. Editing help is available. (December 2009)