Public service and corruption
This article, from The Hill , touches on a issue that in not simply rooted in the US system, but one addressing an issue of corruption in public service. This is a constant problem worldwide, as politicians become wealthier after their time in office, based upon their access to information and contacts while in office. This is not a problem of less developed countries, it is quite obvious that presently there has been significant ways to increase wealth in the US. In the article the author notes that the US President Trump has been doing so in the past six months, “[h]e’s backed a meme coin, charged for VIP dinners, and posted market-moving comments like they were punchlines. Since returning to office, estimates say his net worth has jumped to nearly $5 billion — up from $2.3 billion when he started. That kind of leap doesn’t happen from a government salary. It comes from turning influence into income. “ This does not only apply to the most senior officials, it is a problem across all governmental units.
What can be done to avoid this? The suggestion is that we create new systems and approach limiting public servants from getting rich from their power. The suggestion in this article is sensible, addressing many of the corruption issues, without creating too many bureaucratic restrictions. Our systems were originally created during simpler times, when access to wealth was more limited and we also assumed that politicians would do the right thing, as they came to public service to serve the public. Of course, in the ideal world they would, but rule of law is not predicated on saints, but on people, some good, some not so good. The suggestions of how to limit conflicts of interest, so that public servants can’t enrich themselves, are not so difficult, but it requires honesty on the part of officials. Public service is not the private sector, if officials want to enrich themselves then working for the public they should not be there. Setting up systems to help them is a good start.
Link:
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5450845-corruption-public-service-reform/