Corrupt Environment and Corrupt Justice

Prof Nicholas Dorn writes a thoughtful letter titled "Just where does the locus of corruption lie?" in the Financial Times in which he talks about the Ponzi scheme developed by the U.S. based financial institutions.

While the common perception is that other countries are far more corrupt than the U.S., students in my courses consistently rank the U.S. as being high in corruption. In fact they are surprised that the U.S. ranks as high as it does in the Corruption Perceptions Index.

The definition of corruption needs to be broad based, as its effects are widespread and pernicious. Any action which deviated from fairness and impartiality it was 'influenced by money or power or other variables' and caused damage (or created the potential for damage) can be regarded as corrupt. Some recent examples:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering its staff to "not respond to questions or make any statements" if contacted by congressional investigators, reporters or its own Office of Inspector General, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, PEER. The EPA is gagging its employees- and this is supposed be be public service.
• Apparently "senior aides to former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales broke Civil Service laws by using politics to guide their hiring decisions, picking less-qualified applicants for important nonpolitical positions, slowing the hiring process at critical times and damaging the department’s credibility." - NYT.
  
• Former CEOs of Citi, Merrill Lynch and other institutions who created the current mess but made away with many millions of dollars.
• President Bush commuting the sentence of Scooter Libby.
• Iraq War.
• Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska
• And plenty of other examples.