What is the best way to handle corruption?

Answer 1

Dear Nattydreamer,

The first thing to do is to recognise that corruption is not just engaged in by petty, low-level government bureaucrats for piddly sums of money, but by the high and the powerful as well. One ironic feature of corruption, indeed, is that it creeps higher and higher up the power scale in tandem with the country's level of development. In poor countries corruption is endemic at low-level government posts, for instance, whereas in rich ones (though practically absent from the government's rank and file) it affects ministerial levels or higher.

In the United States as well as in many other developed countries, for instance, corruption is institutionalised in the electoral process. For instance, corporations are still allowed to finance electoral campaigns, and this permits large and intellectually repressive vested interest groups to keep an effective stranglehold on government policy. The consequences for our society are incalculably damaging. Effectively, it amounts to paying political leaders to promote policies advantageous to you, but detrimental to the public interest at large.

Lobbying is also a form of corruption - money does not necessarily have to be involved, and influence-peddling and cronyism can actually have far more devastating effects than ordinary bribery. There needs to be much stricter firewalls between the public and private sectors in high-level functions. In general, it is probably a bad idea to appoint someone from a business environment to a political position - and even worse when these people come from the very industry that they are supposed to regulate. Selecting a former armaments contractor to staff the Ministry of Defence or putting an ex-agrobusiness executive in charge of the Agriculture portfolio might seem extraordinarily stupid, but in many countries this is exactly what is happening. Putting a stop to these practices should be the first step in tackling corruption.

The other thing to do to curb corruption is create an organisation completely dedicated to this purpose, staff it full of outsiders, and give it the widest possible powers. The best example of corruption-curbing I have ever seen was in Hong Kong (a former British colony now part of China). In the 1970s, corruption was endemic at all levels of government in Hong Kong. The joke then was that the Hong Kong Police was "the best police force money could buy". The new governor decided the joke had run long enough, and founded the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The ICAC reported only to the governor, and had the authority to investigate every single instance of corruption, both in the private and public sector. The result is that today, Hong Kong has one of the cleanest governments in the world.

The most important thing, perhaps, really is to preserve and isolate anti-corruption agency staff. Corruption is like a virus, and therefore quarantine and decontamination are vital. You must have staff which cannot have come into contact with any of the industries they are investigating, and you should rotate their shifts every few years to prevent possibilities of corruption. The best thing to do, ironically, is to staff your agency with foreigners - people you can trust precisely because they have no prior conflict of interest, and not enough experience of the country to have made inappropriate contacts in it. This is why Hong Kong was such a success - the ICAC at senior level was staffed entirely by British nationals who had never been in Hong Kong before.

But of course (deep sigh), the first step is to have someone at the helm who cares enough and is honest enough to address these issues. And such elements have always been slow in coming.

Hope this helped,

Answer 2

The best way to handle corruption is through strong law enforcement and third-party oversight.

If political appointees are corrupt, they should have a fair trial and be removed if found guilty. If police are corrupt, the same should apply.

Since one cannot trust the "powers that be" to police themselves for corruption, this would have to be investigated by a third party without any financial/political conflicts of interest.

Answer 3

Dear friend,
The best way to handle corruption is to start taking actions right from your family.
Then the younger generation should be made aware of it so that theypractice it right from their childhood not divert towards corruption.
We cannot correct the present, but the future is in our hands.
SO LETS TRY & HOPE FOR THE BEST.

Answer 4

Corruption is a social evil. People with power 'handle' corruption in the best way. Power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely. It is difficult to reduce the corrupt practises unless powerful people determine to promote the society without corruption. The best way to handle corruption is to find a way to handle people with power.

Answer 5

Ask all members of Local, State and Federal Government to stand before GOD in the end.
According to my beliefs, it is Gods judgment they should fear not mine or mans. We believe that all men will stand before God at judgment. God will say " I have this against you in the book of life". We believe also that no sin is hidden from Gods eyes. I live my life by those beliefs. I have two Sons that are good, decent honest men. In life we will always have corruption, that will never change, all we can do is try to make good decisions and make them with honesty as the first choice.
Now tell me this 7 out of 10 that park in handicapper spaces are not handicapped, they have gained the placard (permit) by illegal means, or a relative gave them one. Would you steal a permit? Would you lie to get one? Would you keep the one your grandparents had? I would not.

Answer 6

Pursue it, prosecute it, legislate against it, and educate the populace about the benefits of playing 'above board'.

It doesn't hurt to interview Skilling, Keating or Kozlowski and let them tell the world how wonderful life is when it's lived in corruption.

Answer 7

best way is to remain far from it,dont allow anyone if u can to do corrupt things.

Answer 8

by keeping informed,using the ballot box every election.

Answer 9

If a person is found guilty, take them out and shoot them.

Answer 10

simple
it shud simply start wid u
never encourage it