Hierarchies of corruption in Eastern Europe - Romania essays

Hierarchies of corruption in Eastern Europe - Romania essays I am not a crook, said former president Richard Nixon when he resigned. Perhaps he believed it too. However, the rest of the country knew it was not true. What one believes to be true and what is true, at times could be worlds apart. Corruption very well falls in this category. When corruption takes place, some people know that what they are doing is corruption and is wrong and in most cases against the law. Others not only may not even be aware that they are taking part in corrupt activities, but also believe that their choice of action is in the name of survival, thus making it OK. In fact if the result of the transaction is favorable in other words it lives up to expectations, the players will be quiet proud. But what is corruption? While one may find different definitions depending on the source, and even more so when it becomes a matter of opinion, here is one definition that tries to encompass corruption the best. Corruption is any agreement between parties to act or refrain from acting in violation of the Public Trust for profit or gain in either the private or public sector. The definition leads us to the two different types of corruption: One is when the party taking the bribe will act against the law to give what is expected in exchange, the other is when the law is not broken, but preferential treatment is provided for quicker access to goods or services. The problem with the latest is that, these goods or services are not going to those intended for or deserving them the most, but rather to the highest bidder, thus defeating the purpose of the system leading to unfavorable results in the long or short run. Now that we know what corruption is and how it takes places, the question is why? Why do people become vulnerable to corruption? Understanding the reasons and causes or circumstances of corruption will in turn lead us to understand the pyramid of corruption. One may commit a corrupt act to...