Title: Corruption in America
Description: In 1785, Louis XVI presented Benjamin Franklin with a snuff box encrusted with diamonds and inset with the King's portrait. Americans believed it threatened to "corrupt" Franklin by altering his attitude toward the French in subtle psychological ways. In 2010, one of the most consequential Court decisions in American political history gave wealthy corporations the right to spend unlimited money to influence elections. With unlimited spending transforming American politics for the worse, warns Teachout, if the American experiment in self-government is to have a future, then we must revive the traditional meaning of corruption and embrace an old ideal.
Subjects: Politics and government, Political culture, Political corruption, Judicial corruption, Moral and ethical aspects, History, United states, politics and government, nyt:crime-and-punishment=2014-11-09, New York Times bestseller, New York Times reviewed, Political ethics
Places: United States