Types of Corruption Found in Local Government
There are several types of political corruption that occur in local government. Some are more common than others, and some are more prevalent to local governments than to larger segments of government. Local governments may be more susceptible to corruption because interactions between private individuals and officials happen at greater levels of intimacy and with more frequency at more decentralized levels. Forms of corruption pertaining to money like bribery, extortion, embezzlement, and graft are found in local government systems. Other forms of political corruption are nepotism and patronage systems. One historical example was the Black Horse Cavalry a group of New York state legislators accused of blackmailing corporations.
Bribery is the offering of something which is most often money but can also be goods or services in order to gain an unfair advantage. Common advantages can be to sway a person’s opinion, action, or decision, reduce amounts fees collected, speed up a government grants, or change outcomes of legal processes.
Extortion is threatening or inflicting harm to a person, their reputation, or their property in order to unjustly obtain money, actions, services, or other goods from that person. Blackmail is a form of extortion.
Embezzlement is the illegal taking or appropriation of money or property that has been entrusted to a person but is actually owned by another. In political terms this is called graft which is when a political office holder unlawfully uses public funds for personal purposes.
Nepotism is the practice or inclination to favor a group or person who is a relative when giving promotions, jobs, raises, and other benefits to employees. This is often based on the concept of familism which is believing that a person must always respect and favor family in all situations including those pertaining to politics and business. This leads some political officials to give privileges and positions of authority to relatives based on relationships and regardless of their actual abilities.
Patronage systems consist of the granting favors, contracts, or appointments to positions by a local public office holder or candidate for a political office in return for political support. Many times patronage is used to gain support and votes in elections or in passing legislation. Patronage systems disregard the formal rules of a local government and use personal instead of formalized channels to gain an advantage.
excerpts from: www.Wikipedia.org
Tags: corruption, Local Politics
a friend of mine is being harrassed by local government in ogden utah.the whole county of weber ,and yhe city of ogden collaberate and conspire to harrass this individual.his court case might as well be in a communist country.illlegal procedures as well as due process laws have been inflicted upon him.also dragged into the crap is his daughter and immediate family in the local area.this person has stopped going to court since it became obvious he wasnt getting a fair shake in court.it needs to end now!
Kerala, a tiny state lies in the South-West of Indian sub-continent, created a successful Ombudsman for local governments in Kerala. For details see at http://decwatch.org/?q=ombudsman
[...] work. What does not work is the very sector of public life where conservatives hold sway—local government which has again and again sold out to over-developers, predatory lenders, and has again and again raised property taxes to pay for its mistakes and [...]
I saw this posting just recently. The problems show similarities with experience from central Norway, a location where one also normally by and large expects the rule of law. I would add that upon addressing problems formally, massive and vast retaliation follows.
It has gone on for several years and have turned more ugly recently. Inter alia, there are frequent break-ins/lock-ins in both houses and cars. Documents related to a court case have been removed. Is almost impossible to buy out door locks without criminals obtaining keys.
Human standards seem capable of degradeing fast across space if there is a promise or expectation to get away with wrongdoing. Confidence in being able to get away with crime seems central.
This abusive behavior must be a powerful way of extortion. It thus probably happens regularly and in numerous locations. I am, however, eager to learn of more instances from coutries we usually think of as ‘advanced’ of ‘industrialized’ (OECD-type countries), particularly in relation to local rule and/or delegation of powers.
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