Академический Документы
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Yuxin Chen
Ms. Curtin
6 June 2017
In a divorce case in 2010, a husband developed a personal connection with the judge,
resulting in unfair rulings: child custody was ruled to the father and Margaret, the wife, was
forced to pay child support while her husband made $528,000 a year (Green). This injustice is
the reality for many people around the world. Corruption in forms of bribery or personal
relationships permeates societies and has a detrimental effect in all aspects of life. As a result, an
reduce the corruption within a country while improving its citizens quality of life, the
officials; media is crucial in keeping the citizens informed and knowledgeable as well as creating
Corruption has detrimental effects on the lives of individuals and their country. For
instance, when corruption prevails within a country, it impacts the economic activity of the
country as well as the wellbeing of its citizens. Within the business world, corruption creates
they are outshined and overpowered by large and wealthy companies (Mirzayev). The inability
to compete lowers investment levels and results in the formation of monopolies or oligopolies to
occur ("Corruption"). This monopoly and oligopoly market is damaging to the country as these
companies have total control over the pricing of products and even governmental regulations,
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enabling them to sell their product at an excessive price that allow them to yield large profit with
little spending (Thoma; Stigler). With high prices, there is less demand for products, causing the
production and consumption of products to be low and preventing economic growth (Thoma). In
addition to control over pricing, monopoly and oligopoly companies have a symbiotic
relationship with the government in which they rely on each other to succeed; these companies
often bribe the government to receive special privileges and protection (Machado). This toxic
relationship creates a cycle of corruption. Furthermore, this kind of market prevents foreign
investors from investing as there is no fair competition and a lack transparency. Without foreign
the creation of monopoly and oligopoly market and has a detrimental effect on the countrys
Corruption affects a country economically through not only its effect on the market, but
also promotion of the concentration of wealth and resulting economic inequality. The monopoly
and oligopoly system of market alongside corrupted officials result in a small percentage of the
population holding most of the wealth within the country. Consequently, a corrupted countrys
average income is a third lower than that of a minimally corruption country (Mirzayev). The
rich continue to get wealthier at the expense of the of the poor. These circumstances can cause a
huge division between the upper and lower classes, creating immense variety in the standard of
life. The economic effects of corruption threaten the wellbeing of the citizens as well as the
underdeveloped countries from fully developing. The most prominent way in which progress is
slowed in a country which corruption is through its corrupted officials. When officials become
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dishonestly influenced, they act for their own benefit rather than for the good of the people and
the country. For instance, bribery can result in public officials being loyal to a certain group,
causing them to becoming biased and fail to do their job (Pei). Officials also development
through embezzlement. Corrupted, officials embezzle public money intended to be used to fund
programs and relieve poverty, preventing developing countries ability to advance ("Corruption
Is Public"). To make matters worse, organizing programs and institutions against corruption
requires a large amount of money, and if funds are misused, the country cannot combat the initial
Additionally, progress is slow when a countrys government officials are unwilling to draft new
policies, fearing the risks of wealth and privileges (Hors). Officials fear that new policies that
combats corruption might hinder their ability to become corrupt and the benefits that come with
it. Corrupted political leaders greatly delay developments when they are only concerned about
their own prosperity and power and rather than the country or its people.
On top of its effects on a countrys economy and progress, corruption also changes
culture and the society drastically. Corruption enlarges the amount of distrust within a society.
For example, within the judicial system of a country, poor people are at a disadvantaged when
wealthier people bribe to get a favorable result (Gloppen). As a result, when court becomes
corrupt; there is decreased reliance on the judicial system because people believe that the court
cannot stay impartial and that bribery is always necessary. This results in people wanting to
resolve their issues outside of the legal system, and thus, decreases the courts authority
(Marschall). This decreased authority can be extremely troublesome as the judicial system of a
country is crucial in the enforcement of laws and the prosecution of wrong doings. With little
authority, the court cannot punish corrupt acts or enforce anti-corruption laws. Consequently,
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corruption becomes more widespread and common. In addition, in places where corruption is
prevalent, there is a belief that corruption is an integral part of culture, making it difficult for
people to fight the problem (Hors). These two effects of corruption cause a country to remain
entrapped within the corruption cycle, even when anti-corruption methods are employed.
Central and North Asia and Africa have the most severe corruption (Corruption Perception). In
central and northern regions of Asia, most countries are ranked well below 40/100 on the
Corruption Index, meaning high levels of corruption and low transparency (Corruption
Perception). Africa possesses the most of the countries who scored at the bottom of the
Corruption Index (Ellyatt). The severity of the situation in Africa is shown through the daily
payment of bribes by of the population (Lavers). Possessing most of the bottom placers on the
corruption index, Central and North Asia and Africa have the most severe corruption problem.
As a result, its citizens suffer the effects of corruption more intensely than the rest of the world.
On the other side of the spectrum, Western and Northern Europe and North America
contain the least corruption (Corruption Perception). All West European states placed above
60 on the Index, indicating low levels of corruption and high transparency and integrity
(Corruption Perception). Moreover, four of the top five-ranking spots on the Corruption Index
are within Northern Europe (Chew). Across the Pacific Ocean, North America, specifically
Canada and the United States, also have moderately low levels of corruption; Canada ranked 9th
and the United States ranked 18th on the corruption index (Corruption Perception). In addition,
contrasting with the of the population paying bribes in Africa, the European Union and North
America have less than four percent of its population engaging in bribery (Lavers). This drastic
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difference between the two regions that are just a few thousand miles away highlights the gravity
However, it also demonstrates how even in regions with high levels of transparency and
integrity, corruption and bribery are still present. Corruption is becoming an increasingly severe
epidemic; no country is completely free from corruption. Even though it was reported that only
68% of the countries in the world have a significant corruption problem, the remainder still
contain corruptions (Ellyatt). Maybe the extent of the corruption in these countries are not as
severe as those within the 68% statistic, corruption still exists. Additionally, members of the
European Union, who all placed high on the corruption list still experiences a large amount of
Furthermore, even the number one ranker on the Corruption Perception Index, Denmark, does
not receive the perfect score of 100; instead, it received a 90, demonstrating how corruption
persists even in countries with plentiful transparency (Corruption Perception). Not only is
there are no country with a score perfect score, many countries corruption score have declined
rather than an increase (Corruption Perception). For instance, Australia, ranked number 13 on
the corruption index and fallen in ranking for the past four years (Clark and Oakes). This trend of
decreasing scores indicates that corruption has worsened around the world. In a world in which
The countries with high scores on the corruption index, Denmark, Finland and Sweden,
all have one thing in common: high accountability, transparency, excellent integrity system and
open government (Ellyatt). In order to achieve such qualities, the government should establish
free media. Research has shown that a country that permits freedom of press is less corrupt than
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a country that limits and controls the press (Frdigh). This is because the media acts as a
watchdog advocating for transparency and accountabilities by keeping the people informed
about abuse of power and misconducts within the society (Frdigh). With free media, the
wrongdoings from being hidden from the public. Additionally, increased transparency also
pressure politicians to be less corrupt, as they fear of impeachment and loss of power and wealth
(Hors). As a result, corruption declines as the public is knowledgeable about what is going on
Not only does the media address corruption by increasing the transparency and
accountability within the government, it also promotes the drafting of new policies that reflect
the peoples values. Furthermore, as mentioned before, corrupted officials are unwilling to draft
new policies because they fear losing their power (Hors). However, free media improves the
public awareness towards corruption; officials are then pressure to listen to the public and draft
new policies that address corruption (Nogara). Likewise, the media presents different views on
issues and encourages competition and debates between elected officials, creating incentives for
reformative policies and enhancing the popularity of civil liberties (Nogara). Moreover, the
media provide platforms for citizens to express their values and options to governmental
officials. Media do this by conducting public opinion polls that reflect the views of the public on
issues and policies (Brooker and Schaefer). With the ability to convey their wishes through
media, the public is accurately represented in policies made by officials. Free media within a
country can greatly dictate the amount of corruption present and the willingness of officials to
draft policies addressing the problems of the state. The implementation of free media can be an
If actions are not taken soon, countries who are suffering from corruption will continue
to deteriorate. These countries will be trapped in the corruption cycle and unable to progress
and the life of its people will more difficult. Free media is an easy solution that countries can
adopt without draining resources. Not only will free media reduce corruption by increasing
transparency and accountability, it will also allow citizens to have a voice in the government,
which is crucial in the wellbeing of people. Free media and communication between citizens
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