Corruption Concepts in Historical Perspective

While the word corruption itself can carry many meanings across varying cultures and contexts, the author argues that the shared conceptualization of corruption is the deviation from the acceptable norms of behavior. While some may say corruption is the use of public resources for private gain this remains rather limited in scope, but it can be said that there is a benefit for the corrupter, the corrupted and a loss for others. This is often understood as a form of administrative corruption. When discussing corruption historically, it is important to note that we are imposing a modern understanding of an older and pre-existing phenomenon. To say that corruption was present in kingdoms as kings were not subject to the law is misleading, if perhaps functionally similar. The author also argues that corruption is most obvious in places where systems purport to have transparency and are open to public contestation.