Includes bibliographical references and index.

When politicians use their political power to privately benefit in an illegitimate manner, it is considered a fundamental threat to democracy. However, political corruption takes many forms, including bribery, extortion, influence peddling, and facilitating criminal enterprises. Additionally, there are certain cases that come across as ethically ambiguous: should campaign donations be considered a form of bribery? How can we prevent them from operating as a bribe? This volume looks at political corruption in the United States and beyond, exploring the factors that contribute to a culture of corruption and the possible means of combatting it. -- Provided by publisher.