Political Corruption in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Corruption in America - Research Paper Example The American government has been observed as corruption free from the viewpoint of other countries. Many of these states have contended that such attribute is the reason why America has become a superpower. However, if one is to critically assess the history of the American government, it can be observed that U.S. before was in truth and in fact struggling to eradicate the prevalent problem of corruption in its local and national level of government. Considerably, there have been many political personalities who have been charged and arrested for violating the anti-corruption law. To cite, U.S. Congressman Duke Cunningham in 2005 was charged with having conspired to commit bribery, wire fraud and tax evasion (Rozen 15; Meyers 14). He then decided to resign and relinquish his post. Later on, he was convicted and sentenced to over eight years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a whopping amount of more than one million dollars in restitution (â€Å"Duke Draws† A01). Notably, thi s type of corruption has been referred to as political corruption which poses danger to democracy and good governance and undermines the legitimacy of the government and its democratic values (Gore). According to Heidenheimer and Johnston, â€Å"political corruption involves a public official who violates the public’s trust in a manner which harms the public interest by knowingly exploiting his or her office for clear personal and private gain in a way which runs contrary to the accepted rules and standards for the conduct of public office so as to benefit a third party† (42). In this sense, there are two ideas which can be derived from this definition, corruption and the culture of corruption. There is a culture of corruption if a public officer does a corrupt act because he or she expects to be given a reward.

Imagining the Nation in British India Term Paper

Imagining the Nation in British India - Term Paper Example The prohibition of the practice in the year 1829 was considered to be an important step towards the emancipation of the Indian women. It is argued by Lata Mani that the women who were central to this practice had no role in the debate and the controversy was more about the meaning of Hindu tradition, the place of worship and the role assumed by the colonial state. She questions the motives of the British in the abolition of the practice. In her writings, she has shown how the colonial bureaucrats were divided in the intervention in the practice on the ground of the political implications of the issue. The role of the British in the mediation in a local matter cannot be considered as one based on humanitarian grounds. The author questions the objectives of the mediation as the practice of sati was initially condemned by the British but was later covertly approved by them and as a final stand they banned the practice officially. This transformation of stand only proves the views of the author that the acts of the British were not one based on humanity but were influenced by vested interests. When they understood that the open denouncement can cost them politically they approved it but later on in a bid to establish their political supremacy in a foreign country they banned the practice. Lata has also highlighted the scriptural interpretation related to widowhood. She explains how Rammohun Roy, a nineteenth-century noted Bengali reformer, interpreted the scriptures. The scriptures refer to the prescriptive tests that describe the rules of social living. Lata viewed these interpretations as an understanding mode that developed side by side along the colonial rule. Rammohun Roy highlighted that as per the brahmanic scriptures the sati can only be voluntary without any coercion. In her work she has also tried to draw attention to the role of Walter