Corrupt Political Leader: Randy “Duke” Cunningham Many political leaders find themselves drowned in responsibilities and pressure from society. When encountering these factors, they usually become corrupt causing them to do whatever it takes to become successful even if it means being dishonest. In fact, this was the case for Randy Cunningham, commonly referred to as Duke Cunningham.. Duke Cunningham was a “decorated” naval pilot during the Vietnam War ("Randy").…
Some of this may include illegal actions to set themselves apart from the other candidates. Governing over the United States is a huge honor and some people would do anything to be in that position. This corruption brings out the worst in people and ultimately ends up destroying the society in which one rules over. Luckily, we have not faced a corrupt government so far, but that does not mean it cannot happen. Other countries across the world have had this happen and we have watched their societies crumble quickly.…
All citizens of the United States have, at one point or another, been taught that America is a nation founded on the principles of a democratic society. Principles that, forged in the crucible of war, endow it citizens with an undeniable right to directly participate in the political process. America’s Forefathers would be profoundly disappointed, however, to learn that the unchecked influence of special interest has sullied the very fabric of United States politics. The Founding Fathers, in spite of their boundless knowledge, had not the foresight to see just how easily monetary influence would try the fortitude of their burgeoning political system. The effects of their unknowingness permeate throughout the United States government; yet still the American people are seemingly unware of – or perhaps altogether unmoved by – the astonishing amount of money being funneled into the political machine, let alone the identities of those making such remarkable donations.…
According to William H. Watkins, the Civil War was the result of competing views of the economic destiny of America. He says, “Reconciliation between the systems of slavery in the South and emerging industrialization in the North was not possible through negotiation” (13). An industrial America rose out of the horrors of war. “The victory of the North created the conditions needed for northern industrialists to expand without political opposition from Southern planters [and politicians]. The ‘robber baron’ capitalists now found a huge national market in which to expand their fledging oil, steel, textile, and railroad industries.…
In the article “The New Price of American Politics”, James Bennet looks at the views of both scholar Jim Bopp Jr. and former FEC Commissioner Trevor Potter. Bopp favors more money and larger donations in campaign politics, and argues that corporations, billionaires, and outside groups should not be prevented from embracing their freedom of speech when it comes to campaigning. He believes that fewer, bigger donations may eventually allow for politicians to spend more time with voters. Bopp fights to knock down laws and regulations which keep money from entering politics, and believes that the campaign finance system shuts out some groups from expressing their support financially for candidates. Meanwhile, Potter, one of the leading lawyers behind…
Libraries cost money to build and maintain, regardless of how they are organized, and at the turn of the 20th century if you wanted a library you would write to Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie took the fortune he made in steel and turned it around to support libraries for everyone without looking at color. In areas of intense segregation, African Americans became fed up with the substandard quality of the library they were allowed to use as opposed to the library for white people. Carnegie would hear their complaints and then build a better library for the African Americans than the white people had. This was especially prominent in Houston, where his support led to the people negotiating with the city for an all-black board of trustees.…
In this article entitled “Power Brokers Recharge”, Philip Elliott and Dana Point imply, “Koch brothers have retooled with more money, better strategy, and a new plan for victory.” According to the article, businessmen and brothers Koch rearranged their campaign finance strategy to help the Republican candidate to win in 2016…
Andrew Carnegie is a philanthropist of his time, and helped shape America for the better. Although I believe this to be true, it is not a statement made without appraisal or periods of ambivalence. In researching the world’s richest man, it’s easy to see him as the good guy in his youth, as a young man, and eventually in his retirement. It was during his industrial revolution where Carnegie seemed to be beside himself as a robber baron. Still holding his core beliefs and values throughout his lifetime, if seemingly only in creed at terms, he wanted those with wealth to enfranchise others.…
They are the root cause for much of the corruption in our politics. They greatly benefit from many bad economic policies that give them huge winnings, and the nation has to pay for it. They then are willing to fund many congressmen and senators through campaign funding to lobby against policies that actually hurt the American public but greatly benefit…
Lobbyist role in American Politics There is a correlation between lobbyist and corruption in the American political system. This relationship has been debated since the very beginning of politics and continues even today. Forefathers such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were great visionaries concerning what the future held for the new country. James Madison had this to say about special interest groups, "A number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." The reason why the lobbying is not opposed is because the Constitution…
During the 20th century, a new form of activity took place in the U.S political system, where companies and corporations would use money via the form of reelection fundraising to buy influence. One could say that the uses of money by these corporations have transformed American politics. In addition, these corporations are very good at controlling the grounds, steering conversations away from them and spin the media. This in return has prevented the government to take action against some of the business sectors. As can be seen in the documentary Fed Up, those who were backed by the sugar industry would immediately reject any notion that would affect the business in any way.…
In “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” Katherine Boo argues that societies are becoming corrupt because of capitalism’s prevalence in modern societies. Capitalism is creating an economy where products and profits are owned by companies and individuals instead of the government. ("Capitalism" Merriam Webster) Having profits owned by individuals drive owners to create inequitable systems that take advantage of lower class citizens. The systems drive the lower class to compete against one another to create a small profit, that will soon be taken away by the individuals or companies that “own” the profit created by the system.…
One idea many Americans have today is the idea that the government needs to be run more efficiently. While there a many despairing views on how that should be done, one major idea is privatizing parts of the U.S. Government and make it run more like a business. With the recent news of Donald Trump appointing his son-in-law Jared Kushner to lead the White House Office of American Innovation; one might expect that very thing to happen. Kushner appears to be implementing the reform process of reengineering to stabilize the government which clearly demonstrates flaws the system has and the differences between it and the private sector.…
Quilt Square Theme: The Evils of Capitalism How the Theme Applies to the Novel Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle describes many horrors in early 20th century America. Revulsions that Sinclair thoroughly mentions include the dirtiness and filth that existed in American meatpacking industries, the political corruption and mafias that existed in major American cities, the huge homeless proletariat, and the evil misuses of capitalism. Of these horrors, the one that most surprised and appealed to me was how capitalism was abused by the American aristocracy to steal and feed off the less fortunate social affiliations such as immigrants and African Americans.…
The implications of this take away much of Koch’s reliability as a writer and the credibility of his case for capital…