...The medieval Parliament was complete when it represented all the states in the realm: nobles, clergy, peasants and craftsmen but it was not a popular institution mainly because it meant taxation. Only by the strongest pressure of the Crown were Parliaments maintained during the first century of their existence and the best proof of this assertion lies in the fact that in those countries where the Crown was weak, Parliament ceased to exist. The notion that parliaments were the result of a democratic movement cannot be supported by historical facts. Originally, the representative side of Parliament was solely concerned with money; representation in Parliament was a liability rather than a privilege. It is not uncommon that an institution created...
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...Does the United States present a Public Administrational model for the rest of the world for avoiding corruption? “Corruption is an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to violations of human rights, distorts markets, erodes the quality of human life, and allows organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish. This evil phenomenon is found in all countries… but it is in the developing world that its effects are most destructive. Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a Government’s ability to provide basic services, feeding inequality and injustice and discouraging foreign aid and investment. Corruption is a key element in economic under-performance and a major obstacle to poverty alleviation and development.” Koffi Anan, foreword, United Nations Convention against Corruption, 2003. When Democracy and central governance was formed in ancient Greece, it was for the very purpose of preventing the powerful few putting their needs above those of the masses they ruled – after all ‘Democracy’, stems from the Greek demos and kratia literally meaning the power of the people. For peoples familiar only with autocracies and hereditary monarchies, this was a radical notion. Why then, in some modern democracies, has the word government come to be almost synonymous with corruption? Corruption in government is...
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...The United States and The Fall of Rome a Looking Similar Rome had many downfalls to lead towards its demise like political corruption, military spending and greed. You would think those things don’t exist in the great nation of the United States, but if you thought that then you are clearly ignorant. There are plenty of similarities between the downfall of Rome and the United States, which are economic instability, spreading the military too thin and inflation. The Decline of Rome was due to numerous items such as economic instability, taxation, military dissipation and political corruption. During the years of the downfall Rome began to rely on imports from other countries such as Egypt. Rome imported more then they exported which was a deficiency in income. Once Caesar obtained power he then started to acquire more and more land, which was filled with greed. He wanted people to perceive him to be higher then the gods they people celebrated. This became a problem across Rome and so diversity among religions was considered, “ against the rules.” Caesar began to have relations with Cleopatra. This then turned into a rule of lovers, which they wanted to take over the eastern hemisphere. With the military spread to thin, sickness and zero surplus of food the nation crumbled. Without a military to defend them Rome would easily be invaded and dismissed as a civilization. Though the United States may not be the Fall of Rome, both civilizations had copious things in common. Such...
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...Democracy Introduction Illicit drug trade between Mexico and the United States, estimated between $17 billion and $38 billion a year in 2009 by the Drug Intelligence Center, has a long and storied past. Cartels operated with relative impunity from government prosecution during the seventy year reign of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, (PRI). The movement from an authoritarian government system of the PRI to the liberal democracy initiated by the election victory of the National Action Party, (PAN), candidate, Vicente Fox, in 2000, disrupted the status quo. Election gains by PAN Representatives disrupted long standing agreements between the cartels and government officials which led to the increased violence that exists today. This paper will explore the history of the relationship between the cartels and the PRI. The effect of the increased violence from the cartels inhibits the efforts of PAN party officials to establish a lasting democracy. Literature Review Research shows the three distinct stages in the development of a cohesive relationship between drug cartels and government in Mexico and identifies the political and economic conditions that have allowed the drug trade to thrive. Comparing Mexico with Columbia, another narcotics state, provides an additional case study on the subject matter and highlights actions utilized successfully. A review of the current political and military efforts to curtail corruption within the government provides a point of reference to facilitate...
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...groups, influence peddling from local and national government representatives – all these are scenarios that Bulgarian citizen hear and read about in Bulgarian media day after day. That is why when in 2005 Dogan said those words, Bulgarian society wasn’t shock by their content; it was no news to us. Actually, the only shock from these words was from the cynicism and the sense of impunity with which a party leader would talk before television cameras. Overall, Bulgarian society is rather used to the concept of corruption. Bulgaria has been ranked for years among the top in the world in terms of corruption (Mulcahy, 2012). What is peculiar, however, is that whenever a corruption scandal blows up in Bulgaria, the coverage that it gets uses the terms corruption, lobbying, and influence peddling interchangeably, as synonyms, without paying tribute to the fact that each one of them in reality represents a rather different activity. Could this be due to the fact that corruption and lobbying in Bulgaria are one and...
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...Corruption and Politics When Jack Abramoff was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to prison in 2006, the act of lobbying was thrown into the national spotlight. Lobbying has a reputation for being one of the most controversial issues in American politics. It is undeniable to accept the fact that good and bad results when lobbying takes place. Some argue that the downfall of lobbying is a catastrophic problem to the American public while others argue that lobbying creates a healthy relationship between the American public, companies, and the government that complies with the US constitution. In order to determine what action should be taken regarding the act of lobbying, one should question if the act should be outlawed entirely, remain in its current legal state, or reformed. The primary role of a lobbyist is to meet with lawmakers and their staffers on a regular basis. During these meetings valuable information is shared regarding specific issues. Many lawmakers heavily rely on lobbyists to provide vital information when writing legislation. John Kenneth White, a political scientist at Catholic University in Washington expresses how essential the act of lobbying is for politicians while in the process of writing legislation when he says: “They are not only necessary but inevitable” and “The founding fathers fully expected interest groups to organize to defend their property interest.” Professional lobbyists are people whose business consists of influencing legislation...
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...Corruption in the Government and Politics Abstract Political and government corruption has been a big problem in America for a long time. After careful research and investigating, corruption has a way of splitting a country. Corruption in government and political corrupt seems to go hand-in-hand. In America corruption has been an issue at the highest level of government which starts at the executive level of the Presidency. Over the years corruption has reared its head in other areas of our government from the President throughout Congress and even into our state and local level government. Introduction Throughout the history of the United States of America corruption in government has been an issue. Corruption in government has been an ongoing problem from the beginning of our government. Corruption dates back to the conception of our Constitution of the United States. The constitution was created and delivered in the year 1787. It was the creation of hope that this document would set forth some rules and regulations for our country as well as the citizens of this great nation to follow. It included our rights as citizens and the guarantee of having a government to carry out the will of the people. Government and political corruption was an issue even for the framers of our constitution. Before the final draft of our constitution, the document was revised several times before it was presented. The idea was that by creating the constitution it would...
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...Black Politics in Louisiana has and still remains to be today a controversial and interesting issue. Since statehood in 1812, Louisiana has been traditionally conservative and today remains to be marginally democratic. It has long been known for its toleration of corruption in government. In his manuscript, “Peapatch Politics: The Earl long Era in Louisiana Politics”, former Lieutenant Governor Bill Dodd describes corruption as "a way of life, inherited, and made quasi-respectable and legal by the French freebooters who founded, operated, and left us as the governmental blueprint that is still Louisiana's constitutional and civil law." Among the 50 United States, Louisiana ranks as number 15 with an overall grade of a C minus on the Corruption Risk Report Card. (Louisiana - Legislative Accountability, 2013) Serving as Louisiana’s fiftieth governor for four terms in 1972 to 1980 and 1984 to 1988, Edwin Washington Edwards, who is remembered by many as a colorful, powerful, and legendary figure in Louisiana politics, ended his sixteen years in office short of colorful and powerful. The former Governor of Louisiana, Edwards was subject to a near two dozen state and federal investigations beginning in 1960 when he held a Congress position. Edward’s fraud behaviors were consistent to those of bribery and corruption, which is about thirty percent of all fraud that is uncovered. In 1971 before Edwards was even elected to be governor and still serving as a United States Representative...
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...beginning with the Tillman Act in 1907, undercuts dramatic proclamations that Citizens United indicates a privileged where corporate interests trump the public interest and politicians do the will of the highest bidder. Corporations in the early twentieth century not only faced scattered and weak enforcement of the Tillman Act's contribution ban and thus no great deterrent to violating the ban, but also exploited glaring legal loopholes that allowed them to bankroll their favored campaigns with relative ease. Even after the enactment of independent corporate expenditure restrictions, corporations faced minimal barriers to political spending on television or in other national media. Until the FEC's creation in 1974, the ban on independent corporate spending on elections was not rigorously enforced. The relevant time frame for evaluating the decision's practical consequences is, at the very longest, the period after Congress substantially amended FECA in 1974. Campaign contributions as emphasized here discusses the ways in which contributions are made to influence new or incumbent candidates to support a particular agenda based on factors that impact the candidate personally, such as the raising of significant funds to help a candidate be re-elected, or environmental issues to even social issues are of concern. Since the last decade, millions upon millions of dollars have been spent in state judicial elections, primarily by contributors with an interest in the outcome of litigation...
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...and a better life. Some its persecution and others just want to live in a healthier environment. America wants to help these people, but they have to meet certain requirements and many cannot do that due to their demographical status. Immigrants have always thought of a better life and many believe that the only way to achieve that is to go to America where they can live the American Dream. The United Fruit is an organization that is helping immigrants reach a better life in whatever country they are traveling too. This organization is focused on stabilizing governments and making it easier for immigrants to come in and build their new lives. Most immigrants in places like the...
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...aspects of super PAC’s far outweigh the harmful side effects that occur. In an informal survey of Ohioans an English 102 class at Columbus State Community College found that 60 percent are aware of what super Pac’s are. In the same survey, 70 percent of Ohioans believe there should be no cap on the contributions by corporations and groups (Survey). Super PAC’s are controversial because they are a result of two court rulings against the Federal Election Commission by the Supreme Court. Super PAC’s are much like political action committees but cannot coordinate directly with candidates or political parties. They allow labor unions, corporations and different groups to make unlimited contributions to these groups that are not in cahoots with any political parties or candidates. The major controversies of this topic are: the First Amendment, disclosure of contributors, corruption, competiveness of elections, and political advertising. The two Supreme Court cases which lead to the creation of super PAC’s were Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee and SpeechNow.org vs. Federal Election Committee. These two rulings came in 2010 within months of each other. Mortimer B. Zuckerman in “Money in Politics: A Problem With No Easy Solutions” of U.S. Digital Weekly, illustrates the formation of super PAC’s. In the first case Citizens United vs. FEC found that the government cannot prohibit corporations and unions from spending money to support or oppose candidates. The second...
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...have been entrusted. These standards are what safeguard the nation from corruption by politicians and public officials who have been given almost unrestricted access to public resources together with the power to take decisions that impact on the lives of everyone and the nation as a whole. It follows that those in positions of power can use these positions to take decisions that are solely in the public interest or they can use them to benefit themselves, friends, and in the case of politicians, their party supporters to the exclusion of others. There is mounting evidence, documented by Transparency International among others, that given their privileged position those in power can and sometimes do inflict immense, often irreparable, damage on the country by acting in any other than in the public interest. This, essentially, is the rationale for the legislative and other measures that countries take to govern the behaviour of their public officials. The absence of integrity and probity in public life is manifested in corruption which is a worldwide phenomenon. But its impact is strongest and most pervasive in small states that already suffer from all the known disadvantages that characterise smallness such as unfavourable economies of scale, high per capita cost of government, remoteness, and distance from large markets and centres of large populations among others. In addition to all these, small States also tend to suffer from ineffective parliamentary oversight, weak and undeveloped...
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...Political corruption was a consequential issue during the Gilded Age that was addressed by two key reformers, Lincoln Steffen and Robert La Follette. Political corruption was a critical issue that greatly hindered...
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...companies covet to develop their business to other countries. There are many difficulties and a wide-range of benefits when a company expands globally outside of their cultural. When a company conduct business outside of their zone; research is required, patients, and a learning process. China and the United States has learned how to work international with business over the past years. The alliance between organizations, partnerships and private sectors has been the reason for the growth between the two countries. While concentrating on the customs, culture, language, anti-corruption and economic implications. You will explore the Chinese culture and its impact on local business structures. The comparison of China and the United States in regards to its cultural analysis will be provided, along with the implications for the United States businesses that wish to conduct business in China. Major Elements and Dimensions of Culture in China China Business Ethics Business ethics is the principal and standard that guides a company, it is very complex and the resolution are rarely black and white (Parboteeah & Cullen, 2013). According to Business Ethics in China it states, that business ethics in China has emerge and developed to the response of economic reforms. It is a combination of the soci-political system; its philosophical ideologies, specifically in Guanxi and Confucianism,...
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...Executive Summary Corruption has long been a part of world economy, and still is today. It can come in the form of bribery, embezzlement, fraud, blackmail, or extortion and can be small-scale involving a sector of a company, or large-scale seeding through government or an entire market. More recently has been the rise of globalization and anti-corruption legislation and organizations, all of which pose a real threat to the existence of corruption and unethical corporate behaviour in international business. Risks of displaying unethical corporate behaviour such as bribery and corruption includes repercussions in the form of anti-corruption indictments or public relations disasters and reputation damage resulting from negative publicity surrounding poor moral actions. Some economists argue that bribery and small-scale corruption is essential to doing business in some host nations and market, and others argue that in the long term, participating in unethical behaviour has negative impacts on both the local economy and the parties involved. Multinational corporations constantly involved in international business dealings can do three things to stop corruption: (1) - have ethical standards or company-wide moral codes in place to avoid having employees involved in unethical corporate behaviour, therefore making anti-corruption legislation easier to regulate, (2) – they need to use their resources and effects on local markets as leverage to discourage corruption in any economy,...
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