Corruption of Public Officials

Corruption of Public Officials
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Public officials are mandated with the role of serving both the government and the community. Corruption has become a widespread vice that needs to be addressed. Various scholars have researched the causes of corruption both at the individual and institutional level. The primary reason why public officials engage in corruption is their desires for an unfair advantage (Gorsira, Denkers & Huisman, 2018). Public officials can use their position to embezzle public funds with the sole intention of improving their lifestyle. As the gap between the poor and the wealthy continue to widen, public officials want to remain in the upper economic class.
Lack of punitive measures against corrupt leaders is also a major cause of corruption. While there are posts which require public officials to be held accountable for their actions, some officials are not afraid of what might ensue because they have links to top individuals in the government. Some public officials may have a monopoly of power and thus exempting them from any litigations. Incidences of distrust in the criminal justice system may also facilitate corruption (Gorsira, Denkers & Huisman, 2018). A public official can bribe judges and the prosecutor to ensure that any case against him does not succeed.
Transparency in public offices promotes accountability. Public officials who are not questioned about their actions and decisions may utilize this opportunity to embezzle public funds.

Furthermore, they have no one requesting them to account for how they spend public funds. Poor incentive structures may also trigger corruption. An employee who is underpaid will search for all avenues to gather more money whenever an opportunity manifests. The inefficiency of systems used in public officers may also motivate public officials to become corrupt. A politically unstable nation is likely to have more incidences of corruption as compared to a politically stable country. Reference
Gorsira, M., Denkers, A., & Huisman, W. (2018). Both sides of the coin: Motives for corruption among public officials and business employees. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(1), 179-194.