| Chapter : | Introduction |
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corruption. President Clinton's relationship with a White House intern was a scandal—a personal failing embarrassingly played out on the front page of the newspapers. It did not cross over into corruption until the president lied under oath and misused government resources to cover up his wrongdoing. Behavior by public officials can be personal, immoral, and wrong, yet not be considered corruption if such behavior is part of their private or personal life.
For something to count as political corruption, it must have a public impact, be a part of some violation of public trust. As such, another useful distinction can be drawn between individual corruption and systemic corruption. The former is individual wrongdoing. An officeholder on the take or a legislator who sells his vote would be examples of “bad apples.” Systemic corruption encompasses a broader sphere. Instead of bad apples, here you have a “bad system.” The undermining of democratic legitimacy or equality might be considered examples of systemic corruption, as might campaign financing practices. Such corruption runs deeper than mere individual transgression. Systemic corruption is embedded into the day-to-day operation of the system.
In focusing on the individual we often overlook the systemic. It is easier, and in the short run, more gratifying to catch, punish, and condemn a Governor Blagojevich. Yet what of the systemic forces that led the governor to behave in so ghastly a manner? Is there such undue systemic pressure to accumulate money, that the system pushes politicians “over the edge”? A politician need not “sell” offices to enter into a Faustian bargain. It may be perfectly legal to collect campaign contributions, yet it may also have a corrosive or corrupting effect on the integrity of the democratic process.
In chapter 7, Chris Shortell draws a useful distinction between Acute Corruption and Systemic Corruption. Acute Corruption involves an individual acting for personal gain. Representative Cunningham taking a bribe would be an example of this form of corruption. Systemic Corruption involves a gain for a particular political regime. The Nixon administration engaging in election reform serves as an example of this type of corruption. It is designed to advance the power of a party of particular ideology.