When the subject of analysis is a country like the United
States, there is always complexity involved. So is the case with corruption.
Not only is there corruption of most conventional types that we find common in
all countries like misuse of power and bribery, but also corruption that cannot
be differentiated and singled out from the existing institutional, political
and legal machinery. One example of this is the case of election campaigns in
the United States, where instead of having short, publicly funded campaigns the
US has long, political campaigns and the candidates are forced to spend much of
their time campaigning and ‘seeking bribes’.
Another is the extent of lobbying resulting in particular parties
benefiting from the legislative process or certain industries having reduced
regulation, or what is called ‘regulatory capture’.
In case of US, it is important to note that the political and
social contexts of corruption are inextricably interlinked and extremely
difficult to differentiate. Sometimes corruption is legal and embedded in the
political process itself, like in the case of powerful lobbies. This directly
leads to a lack of public trust in institutions and becomes a becomes a
breeding ground for animosity with certain institutions and groups, much like
we see now in US. The fabric of social trust is in danger.
Thus, for me, there are three distinct features of corruption
in the United States that pertain to social and political contexts and
distinguish it from others.
Economic-Elite Domination
in legislation making process
A study Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page provides substantial
support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased
Pluralism. This is reflected most in the legislative process. What they find is deeply unsettling. The
opinions of 90% of americans is not reflected in the legislative process at
all. They argue that ‘the preferences of
the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically
non-significant impact upon public policy’ . Instead policy making process
is dominated by the economically elite, by powerful corporations and
multinational companies. [1]
[2]
Lack of institutional trust
An important feature of corruption in USA is the lack of
institutional trust. A poll by Gallup revealed how only 22% of the total
population has confidence in the criminal justice system,33% has confidence in
the presidential system and 34% has confidence on the US Supreme Court system. [3]These
are abysmally low numbers for one of the richest countries in the world.
Lack of institutional trust feeds into the existing discontent
of the public and fuels it into something much more. There is overwhelming
support for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump because they are seen as outside
‘Washington’. As more people lose trust in the system, the more chances there
are of conflicts, racial hatred, ethnic disputes etc, all of which are
extremely harmful to the general ecosystem of the country.
Election Financing
Corruption in USA is characterized most of For both Democrats
and Republicans, around 80-85% of the campaign funding comes from
Political Action Committees (PACs) and
individual contributors.[4]
Corruption becomes intrinsically embedded in election machinery, so much so
that we are unable to see it as outside of the system. We lose trust in the
system. Institutions regulating power and wealth in electoral politics face
serious credibility issues which is essential for its functioning.
The Elected officials spend 30-70% of their time in office
fundraising for the next election. When they’re not fundraising, they have no
choice but to make sure the laws they pass keep their major donors happy, or
they won’t be able to run in the next election.
What can be done?
All the three cases of corruption that we have seen above are
sometimes difficult to distinguish from their institutional settings.
Therefore, what is needed most importantly is public education and awareness of
the type of corruption and an idea about how it manifests in the system. For
example, knowing that there is a powerful gun lobby pushing against gun control
will make the public understand that this is not just a debate about human
security.
Domination in legislation making process can be checked by the
presence of an independent anti-corruption organization with sizeable resources
(like ICAC) that conducts regular surveys and looks for correlation with public
opinions and what is actually passed. This will also create a perception that
the government recognises this as a problem and thereby establishing a problem
towards solving the problem of institutional trust that is one of the main
causes of concern in USA.
Creating certain limits on campaign finance- like compulsorily
using public funds and limiting private
funding are some measures to curtail the election campaigning problem. Creating
a favourable political scenario is important too- for example the case of
Citizens United v, FEC where by allowing unlimited election spending by
individuals and corporations, the decision has "re-shaped the political
landscape" of the United States. Establishment of audit institutions which
oversee both pre-election audits and
post-election audits are also necessary.
[1] Giles M & Page B, Testing Theories of American
Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens; September 2014;
Perspectives on Politics, Volume 2, Issue 3,pp 564 - 581
[2] Cassidy.John; Is America an Oligarchy?, The Guardian,
April 2014 (http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/is-america-an-oligarchy)
[3] Poll on Confidence in institutions, Gallup
(http://www.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx)
http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/wherefrom.php?cycle=2010#
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