Private and Public Corruption FROM THE PUBLISHER
The various essays in this volume explore the development of ideas of corruption, employing a range of disciplinary approaches. Although we are accustomed to think of corruption as the misuse of public office for private gain, corruption has its deeper roots in the idea of a standard that has been eroded. That standard, however, need not be construed idealistically: much of what is asserted to be corruption takes the form of a departure from conventional standards. To inveigh against corruption, therefore, it is necessary first to examine the presumptions that underlie its imputation. The contributors explore the ethical issues that must be confronted in identifying corruption, as well as address some of the ethical issues that challenge attempts to root out corruption.
SYNOPSIS
Heffernan (law, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City U. of New York) gathers 11 papers originally presented at two conferences sponsored by the Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics in 2001 and 2002 examining ethical aspects of personal and public corruption, including possible links between the two. The evolution of the idea of corruption is explored in papers discussing the views of corruption in Ancient Athens, Thomas Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, and 18th century England. Responses to corruption are discussed in regards to Chinese governance, clearing and rebuilding New York's Ground Zero, and in other settings. Other topics addressed include the line between campaign contributions and bribes and the use of material market rewards for cooperating witnesses in the US federal criminal justice system. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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