How do First World countries get rid of corruption?

[srvfan]

I'm very very very annoyed in my country's politics. The Philippines is the first democracy in Asia yet the government is not afraid of the people. Our present government is so blatantly corrupt compared to those who took office twenty years ago. Would you believe in public schools they spend $4000/unit for a low grade amd desktop computer that should cost less than $400/unit? Worse, the students aren't using them because even the teachers do not know how to operate the machines! Funds for fertilizers worth millions of dollars are diverted into big cities that have absolutely ZERO farmlands. Those pigs also dig up the roads to "fix" a perfectly working pipeline everytime they campaign for their reelection. When they are exposed, they have the audacity to feign innocence and even attempt to sue the media and witnesses with slander and libel.

How do America, Britain, or the rest of the Big 8 countries get rid of such pigs in their government?

[Manwë Súlimo]

I can't speak for your country since I don't know how it works, but the media here latches on to any real or perceived corruption and complains loudly. I guess a free media helps.

[NeilUnreal]

One factor in America has to do with the fact that our political structures developed de novo from the bottom up. That means there are checks and balances and watchdogs at each level. We also have an historical narrative which extols communitarianism and unselfish individualism, so it's easy to educate each generation about the dangers of corruption. (The most heated arguments on American school playgrounds generally erupt over issues of fairness.)

Of course, there are spectacular failures at all levels here too, but on the whole things are kept under pretty good control.

-Neil

[rogue06]

While there is most certainly corruption in First World countries I would have to say that one reason it isn't as prevalent as it is in other parts of the world is that it isn't considered acceptable. I've been in countries where you are expected to grease the palms of public officials in order to get them to do the most basic part of their jobs. This is considered business as usual and just how things are done. This would never be tolerated in the U.S., Great Britain etc.

A friend of mine from Korea owns a convenience store and didn’t call the police after she was robbed about three years ago. Why? It was her experience in Korea that when the police got involved you had to pay them off to keep from being arrested even if you were unquestionably innocent and the victim of a crime. To her, all police are irredeemably corrupt and too be avoided at all times because of how they apparently operated where she was from. Could you imagine police shakedowns being considered standard practice?

While I’m not saying it has never happened in First World countries, what I am saying is that it wouldn’t be tolerated and the corrupt cops would find themselves behind bars before long. What it never would be is tolerated and accepted and become what is to be expected.

[Ashley-Cooper]

A free press and tight-knit communities. There's no replacement for it. Democracy doesn't consist of elections. It consists of direct participation in the rhythm and flow of politics at the most basic level. Attend community forums, be active in your home-owner's association, or write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Run your mouth, man. Try running for city council someday. It's called "being a good citizen." Part of why America's been going downhill lately is that people have stopped believing in that.

Agree with them or not, but one group of people you can take lessons from is actually the gay community. Their movement was built on the same principles that would form a strong democracy. There is a very good reason that they have been as successful as they have.

[srvfan]

I shared my woe to an English friend and she responded that London also has a dig-hole-plug-hole problem. Not Central London, of course, but the far side in the South West.

[themuzicman]

I think people also have to feel a sense of empowerment in throwing the bums out, and there have to be viable alternatives coming from the people who are willing and able to go into office and clean things up.

One thing the US has is an educational system that at least offers all our youth the ability to become well educated and to become politicians, if they wish.

Not sure how good/bad those things are where you live, but I think those are important.

Michael

[Messor Mortis]

First world countries dont get rid of corruption. America and europe are extremely decadent and massively inept we are going downhill fast so i cant really say we actually do anything but become more corrupt.

[bongomaniac]

There is of course corruption everywhere, but two things that seem to help are (1) An independent civil service: Officials are not reliant on political patronage and so are able to develop a shared code of ethics that provides checks on mavericks. (2) Strong parties: Representatives share collective responsibility with others in the party and cannot act just in the interests of a narrow local base. Voters are willing to punish a party for the failings of individual representatives and parties have the power and inclination to punish individuals to prevent this.

[decoski]

A free press and tight-knit communities. There's no replacement for it. Democracy doesn't consist of elections. It consists of direct participation in the rhythm and flow of politics at the most basic level. Attend community forums, be active in your home-owner's association, or write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Run your mouth, man. Try running for city council someday. It's called "being a good citizen." Part of why America's been going downhill lately is that people have stopped believing in that.

Agree with them or not, but one group of people you can take lessons from is actually the gay community. Their movement was built on the same principles that would form a strong democracy. There is a very good reason that they have been as successful as they have.

We are NOT a democracy. The USA is a representative republic. We elect people to represent us. The Founders knew a Democracy was dangerous as it leads to mob rule and was the downfall of other nations.

[jackhammer]

You can never fully get rid of corruption in the govt, it'll be there no matter what country you live in

[srvfan]

You can never fully get rid of corruption in the govt, it'll be there no matter what country you live in

Wahohohohoho! Hohohoho! Your avatar is so cute! I like the expression of the poor elephant being rescued. Where did you get it?

[jackhammer]

Wahohohohoho! Hohohoho! Your avatar is so cute! I like the expression of the poor elephant being rescued. Where did you get it?
I took it from an online newspaper, I don't remember which one.

[Sheepdog]

Checks and balances are essential.

The founders of the US took for granted that the federal government could be corrupted. As I recall, they expected us to dissolve back into a monarchy within 200 years.

If you start with an expectation that all politicians are evil and therefore corrupt, then your only remedy is to pit evil against evil. This is the nature of the three branch system in American governance. In theory, if one branch become corrupt, then one of the other branches will expose that corruption and ultimately prevent it from becoming law. That is not because the other branch is good, it is also corrupt, but with a totally different agenda, and so the corruption of one branch is resisted for the sake of the other. In theory they would cancel each other out eventually, so there is an uneasy truce between the branches.

The American Revolution was based on the Christian assumption that man is inherently evil, and therefore politicians are evil as well. The French Revolution was based on the secular assumption that man is inherently good. Many constitutional governments follow either the American Revolution as precedent or the French Revolution. If I were to gamble, I would say that those that follow the latter have more corruption than the former. I wouldn't want to state it as fact though, since it's not something I've had the chance to study more.