Hokkaido Ice Skate

Political corruption comes at a heavy price. According to research carried out by one university, almost two hundred billion dollars has been stolen from the coffers of thirty African countries by corrupt government officials in the period between 1970 and 1996. This is said to be one reason why these countries continue to lag behind economically. Nigeria is said to have lost four hundred billion dollars in the period lying between 1960 and 1999.

The exercise seriously undermines good governance, whether in the public or private spheres. Elections are manipulated, resulting in kleptocrats gaining or retaining power. It also blunts the sting of accountability, ensuring that illegal practices go on with no questions being asked. Investigators are paid off, exiled or killed. Courts stop being reliable, subverting the rule of law. Provision of services becomes nonexistent, or available only to those who can pay for them.

Bribery also affects private business. The practice ensures that only those firms and businessmen that are willing to give kickbacks get to conduct business. Contracts are won fraudulently, and the quality of what is delivered cannot be guaranteed. The cost of goods and services increases significantly, as any bribes given have to be factored into their price. It also encourages corrupt officials to contrive new rules and delays for those who fail to toe the line.

Without a doubt, bribery underwrites environmental degradation. Where this practice is rife, governments are unable to enact with the necessary legislation to protect this valuable resource. Even where such laws are available, enforcement cannot be guaranteed, and is generally used to punish those who are unwilling to pay kickbacks, or those who have fallen out of favor with the high and mighty.

This practice can lead to a variety of negative social effects. For instance, since labor rights are not enforced, workers regularly resort to strikes, as there may be no other way of making themselves heard. These may be put down violently. A variety of researchers have arrived at the conclusion that government ineptness may create famines, or make them worse. For example, it is not uncommon for strategic food reserves to be sold off corruptly, so that when rains fail, the resulting famine is worse than it would have been.

Transparency International, an organization dedicated to fighting bribery around the world, has classified this practice into a number of categories. The first one is patronage; this is what many election winners do when they reward their supporters and followers on the basis of their loyalty rather than merit. The danger in this is that qualified individuals or organizations may be passed over.

Nepotism and cronyism refers to the practice of favoring relatives and friends for jobs and contracts, a practice that is similar to patronage. Sometimes this involves bribery, such as requiring an organization to employ a relative so that it can get a contract. Old boys networks also fall into this category, as favors are done for those who belong to certain groups only.

Selling influence is another form of political corruption. People with the authority to ensure that decisions are made in a certain way can exchange that ability with cash. For instance, a judge presiding over a case can take cash to ensure that judgments go a certain way. This should not be confused with lobbying, which is legal, although the line between these two practices can be extremely thin.