Embedded Files
Getting Started...
Some possible search terms for databases/search engines:
"corruption"
"corruption" AND "politics"
"corruption" AND "power"
"corruption" AND "government"
"corruption" OR "fraud"
"fraud" AND "authority"
"abuse of power"
Read:
"What is Political Corruption and What can we do about it?"
The Brennan Center for Justice offers this article on what political corruption looks like (with a particular focus on the politics of today), and breaks down what the guardrails are in a functioning democracy and how to protect against corruption.
Transparency International, a non-profit working to combat corruption around the world, offers this concise definition of corruption, its impacts, and how to stop it.
In this paper, an effort is made to improve understanding of power’s corrupting effects on human behavior through an integrated and comprehensive synthesis of the neurological, sociological, physiological, and psychological literature on power. The structural limits of justice systems’ capability to hold powerful people accountable are also discussed. (from the Abstract)
What is "corruption" and how to combat it:
Corruption can take many forms and can be combatted in a variety of ways. Take a look at this brief TedEd video for an overview of the different kinds of corruption, the impact they can have, and what can be done to curb them.
"3 Ways to Uproot a Culture of Corruption"
Corruption is a constant threat in Kenya, says social entrepreneur Wanjira Mathai -- and to stop it there (or anywhere else), we need to intervene early. Following the legacy of her mother, political activist and Nobel Prize recipient Wangari Maathai, Mathai shares three strategies to uproot a culture of corruption by teaching children and young people about leadership, purpose and integrity.
Gale Databases
Gale Databases
The Vermont Online Library is a great source for reference, news, magazines, audio/video files and more.
Use Gale in Context: High School for general resources/searches. You can also try searching in the Gale in Context: U.S. History database to find resources on famous instances of political corruption in our nation's past (think Watergate Scandal for example).
Get started with this reference article which defines and details the different kinds of political corruption and some of the ways they've shown up in history: "Political Corruption".
Note: You can filter your searches by content level in all of these databases!
Britannica School
Britannica School
Britannica School is a great place to start most research projects. You'll find helpful articles offering foundational information for your topic, plus additional resources and recommended web resources connected to your topic (see the "Related" tab in each article).
Corruption and power are inextricably linked as corruption is often thought of as the "abuse of power". Read this entry on "Power" to start thinking about what it means to have power in a society, and the different types of power that theorists have discussed throughout society's history. Related to power is the idea of "status". Read the entry on "Social Status" and consider how social status played a role in the Salem Witch Trials, and in the HUAC hearings of the 1950s.
U.S. Major Dailies
U.S. Major Dailies
For relevant newspaper sources, try searching the U.S. Major Dailies database from ProQuest. Log in with your CSD Google account.
Fifty years after the start of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings began, the L.A. Times published this article about the culture of fear and betrayal that arose around the hearings, and the ways that this fear led to a corruption of personal morals and values for those who were called to testify.
Even today, politicians, journalists, and historians call back to the days of McCarthyism as a way of understanding events and actions by groups in power. This 2023 New York Times article offers one recent example wherein two groups simultaneously accuse one another of an abuse of power: Divided House Approves G.O.P. Inquiry Into ‘Weaponization’ of Government
Reminder: Explore the "More Like This" or "Related Articles" sections in any database articles in order to find additional resources and dig deeper.
Watch:
"Corruption as Human Nature"
Watch Andre Carstens explain why corruption is so prevalent and why some countries experience corruption more with a specific focus on The Netherlands and Kazakhstan.
"The Corruption of the Church and Indulgences"
Most often when we think of "corruption" we think of government corruption or economic corruption, but corruption can exist within any institution that holds power in a society. In "The Crucible" the society's positions of power were held by men with means, and religious and municipal/judicial leaders. How did their positions of power become corrupted and what were the driving forces (i.e. greed? fear? jealousy?...) Who were the victims of this corruption?
"What are the Root Causes of Corruption?"
The UN has designated the 9th of December 'Anti-Corruption day' as part of a campaign to raise awareness. Mukesh Kapila from the University of Manchester weighs in on what causes corruption.
Making Connections:
Arthur Miller was interested in the various facets of human nature and played with these as themes throughout many of his plays. Read this 2019 New Statesman article entitled "Arthur Miller's Anatomy of a Nation". In it the author asserts the following: ...culpability was always one of Miller's themes...Themes of guilt and complicity run through most of his plays as a counterweight to myths of American innocence and optimism: people don't just betray each other, they betray themselves and their own ideals. How do you see this theme play out in The Crucible and how does this relate to the idea of corruption?
How does the idea of honesty/dishonesty play a part in corruption? What makes a person or society willing to believe falsehoods? Where do you see examples of dishonesty and a desire or need to believe untruths in "The Crucible"? Watch Skyler Hughes' TedxTalk for more on this idea.
"Why did we Stop Caring about Disinformation?"
What happens when lying no longer shocks us and dishonesty becomes normal? In this eye-opening talk, Skylar Hughes, a journalist and psychological researcher, explores why our outrage at fake news has faded and what that means for democracy. Hughes reveals how repeated exposure to lies changes our brains, shifts our social norms, and threatens our moral compass.
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