ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates political corruption at various levels of government: community, state, and national. It reviews two types of political deviance: the use of political clout for material gain and the unfair means used to gain, maintain, or increase political power. In both cases, the deviance can be achieved by corrupt individuals or by a corrupt system. Graft can take several forms. First is the outright bribe, through which an individual, group, or corporation offers money to a public official for a favor or the government official may demand money in return for a favor, which is political extortion. Second is when the public figure accepts exorbitant lecture fees from organizations or accepts retainers at his or her law office. A third type occurs when a public figure is offered the opportunity to buy securities at a low price; then, when the price goes up, the briber purchases the securities back, at a great profit to the person bribed.
