Government Corruption: Powerless Or Powerful?

There is a belief that corruption springs from the actions of the powerful. It is they who control government, and therefor they that determine to whom’s benefit it will function. The powerless in this narrative cannot be responsible for governmental corruption, as their lack of power leaves them devoid of guilt as well as agency. It is the contrary that is in fact true. Being powerless can be far more corrupting than being powerful, primarily because by not having power citizens are lulled into an apathetic cycle. This is a significant issue because if the powerless abstain from participation in politics they cede responsibility and opportunity entirely to those who already hold the reigns of society. Only by holding themselves as well as the mighty accountable can the powerless exert control over the world. In a democratic system the actions of government should be performed with the consent of the people. As Hamilton stated by Hamilton at the New York Ratifying Convention, “In free republics…the will of the people makes the essential principle of the government; and the laws which control the community, receive their tone and spirit

The Soviet Union serves as an extreme example of how the lack of responsibility by the people allows corruption to arise. According to Shiraev, Shlapentokh, and Carroll in The Soviet Union: Internal and External Perspectives on Soviet Society, the Soviet government made decisions with virtually no thought towards public beliefs or welfare. The early Soviets did not command support from the bulk of the population, but the apathy and cynicism of the average Russian allowed them to seize control of their society. The public had ample opportunity to prevent the loss of their agency, but failed to act. The fault of governmental corruption rests not entirely on the citizens, but when they fail to maintain an active voice in a democratic system the ultimate responsibility is