Almost any discussion of American political corruption today will probably include discussion of the Illinois governor situation. The Prairie State now has a new governor, Pat Quinn, who was Lieutenant Governor until recently.

He took office after the General Assembly impeached Rod Blagojevich and then removed him from office.

Prosecutors charged that the governor intended to sell the Senate seat once occupied by Barack Obama, now the U.S. President.

Recorded messages indicate that Blagojevich planned to get great value for the appointment, perhaps in the form of attractive political jobs for himself and his wife.

Three governors of Illinois have gone to prison since the early 1970s, all on charges of corruption.

But the very-public case of Blagojevich is just one of several corruption and malfeasance situations that have been in the news in recent months, as examples of American political corruption today.

Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was brought down, in part, by gifts he reportedly got from a friendly oil company. There have been a number of incidents that smacked of corruption, including those during the Grant administration following the Civil War and in the 1920s, with the well-known Teapot Dome scandal.

Others have become victims of what many call arrogance, the kind that comes with the power of political office. It usually consists of two things. money and arrogance.

THE ARROGANCE OF POWER

MONEY, YES. BUT IT'S ABOUT ME TOO!

In fact, former Senator J. William Fulbright wrote a book with just such an idea in mind. He published that interesting book about the arrogance of power more than 40 years ago.

'Power tends to confuse itself with virtue and a great nation is peculiarly susceptible to the idea that its power is a sign of God's favor, conferring upon it a special responsibility for other nations. to make them richer and happier and wiser, to remake them, that is, in its own shining image.'
Sen. J. William Fulbright

Another high-profile situation showing American political corruption today involved former Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew, who was in office with Richard Nixon in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The exploits of the Nixon White House staff are generally well known. But the activities of Agnew himself soon attracted the attention of the U.S. Attorney.

AMERICAN POLITICAL CORRUPTION TODAY. IT'S EVERYWHERE

The investigation focused on his time as a county official and as Maryland governor. The charges included bribery and tax evasion, along with attempts to extort money from individuals and businesses.

Agnew fought back, but investigators eventually uncovered evidence that the V.P. had accepted nearly $30,000 in bribes from a construction company.

That number grew to almost $150,000 as attorneys discovered more evidence. Corruption was proved and arrogance was in evidence.

Some observers of the legal scene note that the United States seems to have a history of corruption, to the point that it appears to be an accepted part of our political system. But in many cases, those who do wrong are jailed and removed from office.

In the presidential campaign that led to Barack Obama's election, the Democratic candidate made strong statements about dealing with corruption.

BE CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO ACQUAINTANCES

When the issue of American political corruption today is discussed, the conversation often centers on business development, construction projects and government funds.

With ties to the political thinkers in Great Britain some 300 years ago, the concept of corruption may also change slightly over time. At one point in U.S. history, corruption was seen as manipulation within the system to gain access to higher office and power. This is part of what occurred with the Blagojevich situation.

Studies at the university level have proposed that in the 20th century and currently, the outside influences of money and those with economic power are corrupting the political process.

With his ties to Illinois and Rod Blagojevich (if only because he was a Senator from Illinois) the new president may well feel some extra pressure to make good on his campaign statements.