| *1 a : impairment of [[integrity]], [[virtue]], or [[moral]] principle : depravity | | *1 a : impairment of [[integrity]], [[virtue]], or [[moral]] principle : depravity |
| All forms of [[government]] are susceptible to political corruption. Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. While corruption may facilitate [[criminal]] [[enterprise]] such as drug trafficking, [[money]] laundering, and trafficking, it is not restricted to these activities. | | All forms of [[government]] are susceptible to political corruption. Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. While corruption may facilitate [[criminal]] [[enterprise]] such as drug trafficking, [[money]] laundering, and trafficking, it is not restricted to these activities. |
− | The [[activities]] that [[constitute]] illegal corruption differ depending on the country or [[jurisdiction]]. For instance, certain political funding [[practices]] that are legal in one place may be illegal in another. In some cases, [[government]] officials have broad or poorly defined [[powers]], which make it [[difficult]] to [[Discernment|distinguish]] between legal and illegal [[actions]]. Worldwide, bribery alone is estimated to involve over 1 trillion US dollars annually. A [[state]] of unrestrained political corruption is known as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptocracy kleptocracy], [[literally]] [[meaning]] "rule by thieves".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruption] | + | The [[activities]] that [[constitute]] illegal corruption differ depending on the country or [[jurisdiction]]. For instance, certain political funding [[practices]] that are legal in one place may be illegal in another. In some cases, [[government]] officials have broad or poorly defined [[powers]], which make it [[difficult]] to [[Discernment|distinguish]] between legal and illegal [[actions]]. Worldwide, bribery alone is estimated to involve over 1 trillion US dollars annually. A [[state]] of unrestrained political corruption is known as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptocracy kleptocracy], [[literally]] [[meaning]] "rule by thieves".[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruption] |