Sociology Now, Census Update

Corruption. An international agency called Transparency International (www

.transparency.org/) ranks nations on a scale of 0 (not corrupt) to 10 (highly corrupt)

on the basis of three variables:

1.Outside interests donate large sums of money to elected officials.

2.New members of parliament or Congress obey special interest groups rather than

the views of the people they are supposed to represent.

3.Officials misuse government funds or the power of their office for personal gain.

Corruption seems to have little to do with whether the country is democratic or

authoritarian. For instance, Papua New Guinea, which rated a 10 on democratic

institutions, ranked a 7.9 in corruption, and Kuwait, which rated a –7 on democratic

institutions, ranked 4.7 in corruption. Instead, corruption seems to be characteristic

of poor nations, where there are few economic opportunities, so people use their

political influence to make money or exercise illicit power.

Sometimes it is hard to blame these public officials because the systems they work

in are also corrupt. Or “corrupting”—for example, when they are paid little or noth-

ing, so they must make do with outside income and bribes. In many countries, a bribe

is approximately the equivalent of a tip, an unofficial fee to ensure that your visa

application is processed sometime this year.

In recent years, showcase trials of political lobbyists like Jack Abramoff have

revealed the extent of “legitimate corruption” in the United States, where massive

expenditures by lobbyists for various industries supply expensive travel junkets and

other expensive “gifts” to lawmakers on committees that affect those industries.

464 CHAPTER 14POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

International Organizations and American Governmental Power

The twenty-first century has been marked by globalization and the rise of multinational corpora-

tions and organizations. These organizations include the World Trade Organization, the North

American Free Trade Organization, and the United Nations, among others. Some feel that by par-

ticipating in these organizations, the U.S. government gives too much power away, putting said

power squarely in the hands of the international organizations. Others feel that our participation

in these organizations is vital to our well-being as a nation. So, what do you think?

14.1

What

do

you

think

International organizations are taking away too much

power from the American government.

❍Strongly agree

❍Agree

❍Neither agree nor disagree

❍Disagree

❍Strongly disagree

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

?

See the back of the chapter to compare your answers to national survey data.