When we bring up the topic of corruption, the first judgment any person makes is that it is harmful and damaging to the society. Corruption is so complex that it must be described regarding breadth, classification, and levels in which it occurs.
Corruption manifestation can be in many ways other than a government worker taking a bribe from their personal benefits. It is evident in a dysfunctional government which cannot offer survives to its citizens without demanding for something small from them. Although it is not directly connected, this is one of the leading causes of stunted economic growth. For instance, a professional driver who cannot have his license because they cannot afford the required bribe will not be able to work or make money. It slows economic growth in the driving profession. It is an excellent example of public corruption whereby the official chooses to benefit at the expense of an ordinary citizen. Public corruption is evident in two forms; the first one is through embezzlement of government funds meant for development and tax income. The other manifestation of public corruption is whereby the official come up with shoddy money making schemes. Public corruption also occurs in a dysfunctional government whereby the citizen cannot receive public goods and services without giving a bribe or other forms of compromises. Without the bribe, the cannot receive the services they need. This type of corruption promotes poverty, slow international and local economic development.
Private corruption is a different kind of crime that occurs in the private sectors. This sort of crime happens in situations whereby a person has to offer a tip/bribe to the busboy to book a table in a hotel.
Classifications of Corruption
As it is the center of most discussions, most people have heard of the presence of corruption in professional circles, international organizations and in development agencies. Classification of this type of crime involves bribery, nepotisms, fraud, rent-seeking, and clientelism. They all occur in the government, in the private sectors, and among ordinary citizens.
Bribery is one of the most common forms of corruption today. It involves the use of money to persuade an official or someone to do something in a favorable way. This payment can be a fixed amount of money, an agreed amount or a percentage amount in a contract. The bribe is made to persuade the official to offer contracts to specific companies, or from individuals and organizations to receive special benefits from the government. Some common terms used to describe corruption include kickbacks, payoffs, gratuities, hush money, milking, and commercial arrangement. They are words meant to smoothen out the process and mainly used to approach a government official indirectly.
Clientelism is a type of corruption that best manifests itself the government. It involves the most influential people in the state: members of the parliament, political candidates who promise poor people to provide them with security, food, education, jobs and other benefits in exchange for some hard earned money. This relationship exploits the poor people as sometimes the powerful people do not take cash bribes. The common traits that make up the political entity suffer degradation. The politicians use sweet words to coerce and intimidate the poor people to maintain control of the situations. Most of them even end up nor doing a single thing for the people.
Embezzlement is another form of corruption that occurs when employees or public servants steal money from an organization or the government. It is the fraud that involves a lot of tactics and creativity, ranging from inexistent projects funding to play right theft. When it occurs in the state, the ordinary citizen suffers the consequences because it’s the same money meant for them. It does not necessarily imply money; sometimes embezzlement occurs in a wrongful acquisition of public goods. Sometimes the officials will forge receipts and use government resources for personal satisfaction.