State and Local Government Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

State and Local Government Corruption - Essay Example A key focus involved troubling examples where organized crime has capitalized on the presence of municipal corruption. What constitutes corruption differs depending on the country or jurisdiction. Certain political funding practices that are legal in one place may be illegal in another (Political Corruption 2005). In some countries, police and prosecutors have broad discretion over whom to arrest and charge and the line between discretion and corruption can be difficult to draw, as in racial profiling. In countries with strong interest group politics, practices that could easily constitute corruption elsewhere are sometimes sanctified as official group preferences (Political Corruption 2005). Corruption is hard to minimize because it involves confidentiality and too often encounters public acceptance. Investigations have become hard and multifaceted. Investigators must conquer outdated attitudes in the midst of many truthful public officials and private citizens that whistle blowing is useless or even unsafe (Local Government 1992, pg. 7). ... 8). However, State legislation is no good if government officials in practice do not support it.Corruption is particularly widespread in the local government construction projects. Just recently, a major engineering firm that has given $3 million in campaign contributions over the past 25 years and New Jersey has decided it will no longer donate to politicians (Jackson 2005). The on-line database of the Election Law Enforcement Commission(ELEC) lists 1,205 contributions from the firm and its employees, worth nearly $3 million, since 1981 (Jackson 2005). The real total is larger, because ELEC's database does not include contributions to municipal candidates and committees or contributions to federal candidates, who have also benefited from Schoor DePalma's generosity (Jackson 2005). A search of the FEC's Web site, which tracks federal campaign contributions, turned up at least $150,000 in the past five years from the company (Jackson 2005). Schoor DePalma's contributions peaked in 200 3, when the ballot included candidates for all 120 seats in the New Jersey Legislature (Jackson 2005). Corruption such as this should be condemned. Such corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government as procedures are ignored, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold. At the same time, corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance (Political Corruption 2005). Corruption also lowers fulfillment with construction, environmental, or other rules, reduces the quality of government services and infrastructure, and increases budgetary pressures on