Destructive ways on how political corruption affects BrazilFogel describes that "political corruption in Brazil dates back to the time of Vargas and has since become a customary practice among the state leaders." The South American state has a population of more than 200 million and as such is considered relevant on the global stage, but Jenkins said corruption-related charges and convictions have destroyed the state's reputation. Corruption is defined by Transparency International as the abuse of power vested in an individual for personal gain. So the main question is: “How does political corruption affect Brazil?” the essay states that Brazil is one such state that has been consistently plagued by corruption and that the effects have discouraged the state's ability to develop. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to Labrador, since the beginning of 2014, Brazil has encountered several corruption investigations including state leaders and members of large companies. Corruption is said to complicate efforts to revitalize the country's economy amid its biggest recession in more than a century. Labrador describes that to examine corruption from a state perception, the foundation will be fundamentally political. He explains that the term corruption is generally considered a critical issue and usually refers to the abuse of public office, consequently, politicians who communicate with public power refuse to be labeled as corrupt. Understanding the effects of corruption and how it is managed will be critical to point to several theories that have been used to explain and mitigate corruption prevention over the past two decades. One specific theory highlighted in the article is the “principal-agent” theory, which is arguably one of the most influential theories in understanding corruption. According to this theory, corruption within the public sector stems from the individual responsible and the lack of oversight of government bodies. This creates a principal-agent link between the government and its administration where the agents come together to get involved in the corrupt act as the benefits seem to outweigh those of being sincere. On the other hand, theories such as game theory explain the prevalence of corruption in the public sector by using economic literature to justify why public officials engage in corrupt decisions. Analysis of this theory indicates that while some individuals fear the repercussions of involvement, others have no reluctance to engage. The understanding of these two theories is easily recognizable, however, other recent theories have been developed to provide a better understanding of why corruption exists. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, collective action theory has emerged as a more contemporary alternative to explain why corruption continues despite being illegal. This theory goes beyond traditional theories, emphasizing the importance of factors such as trust and the individual's perception of others. According to the article, the theory describes that the action of one individual results in the perceived action of another, thus systemic corruption becomes a collective problem. The writer explains that the constant practice of corrupt acts eventually becomes a social norm. However, despite various collective explanations of corruption, it remains an unresolved and prevalent issue in many states, including Brazil. Transparency International describes that “corruption has remained a major obstacle to achieving theeconomic development in Brazil". This literature will highlight how corrupt factors, including bribery, nepotism and cronyism, have robbed Brazil of its development potential. First, the Legal Information Institute defines corruption as “the offer, donation, solicitation or receipt of anything designed to influence a person habitually holding a public or legal position”. The act of bribery is usually beneficial to the individual seeking a personal favor and the individual granting the favor, as both will benefit from participating in the act. It should be noted that bribery deviates from usual legal practice and constitutes a crime against both the recipient and the giver. In the case of Brazil, corruption has put the country on the global map in what is classified as one of the largest corruption cases of all time. The case was investigated by the Brazilian federal police in 2014 and is known as "operation car wash". This case highlighted the largest money laundering and anti-corruption scheme in the state's history. The operation is said to have lasted a decade and the result of the investigation revealed serious financial irregularities in the largest state company, Petrobras. The act of corruption was evident, as major contractors allegedly tricked senior state leaders and other public agents into acquiring overpriced billion-dollar contracts. The effects of corruption impact state development and particularly the most vulnerable citizens as state resources are shared and misused among individuals in the social hierarchy. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, corruption constitutes several negative development impacts, including misappropriation of state resources, delays in public service, increased costs, and inadequate public infrastructure. In Brazil, he points out that the quality of Brazilian infrastructure is unjustified. The author also indicates that, when compared to states with a similar level of socioeconomic development, Brazil ranks well below the average level: Brazil ranks 123 out of 140 countries in terms of overall infrastructure quality: 121 out of 140 countries in terms of road quality, 98 in railway infrastructure, 120 in port infrastructure and 95 in air transport infrastructure. The effects of corruption have had a serious impact on Brazil's ability to improve infrastructure development and represent a clear cause for concern. Secondly, there is nepotism. “Nepotism is a method of showing favoritism towards associates and family members.” Nepotism involves using one's power to offer favors, including job placement, while ignoring an individual's level of qualification. Nepotism in the public sector, according to the author, has become an unaccepted but uncontrolled practice that goes against the expectations of the population who believe that public workers should be selected based on merit and not favoritism. Some of the negative effects that nepotism contributes to develop include discouragement among workers which can result in underemployment within a state; the fear of being demoted or fired if issues are highlighted to be addressed; loss of productivity, as recipients of favoritism usually have no experience in their assigned work area; the inability of senior staff to be promoted; and the inability to rebuke favorites. These effects of nepotism are a clear indication of an unproductive organization and as such are not beneficial to the development of the state. According to Brazilian President JairBolsonaro, "It was not an act of nepotism when he appointed his son Eduardo ambassador to Brazil." the United States." However, this was far from what many Brazilians thought, for them it was a clear case of nepotism. To prove that it was not nepotism, a study was carried out to establish the legality of the act and the results indicated that the top appointments do not constitute nepotism. Complementing this finding, in 2008 the Supreme Court banned nepotism by ruling that it does not apply to political appointments. Despite this decision, public opinion believes that the act constitutes nepotism since traditionally appointments to these positions were given to career diplomats or political appointees. Regarding some appointments, Sanchez highlights how donors to Trump's presidential campaign were appointed ambassadors compared to the appointment of Krishna R. Urs, the American ambassador to Peru, a foreign service expert with over three decades of experience. These appointments highlight the difference in the selection process and it is clear where the act of nepotism prevails. Sanchez stated in the article that "no matter how qualified the president's son is, accepting an ambassadorial position will be seen as a disconcerting indication of nepotism." Nepotism as a factor in corruption is not sufficiently studied and as such there is a limited number of cases that highlight the problem. However, there is still a serious corruption problem that undermines the development of the Brazilian economy as citizens with the level of experience needed to aid development are often left unemployed or underemployed. Finally, clientelism as a factor in corruption is defined by Goldsmith as a complicated type of corrupt relationship between political representatives and their supporters. The ties between the two are usually rooted in the supporter's ability to receive material gifts; in exchange for these items, the supporter must ensure that the political representative gains enough supporters to be able to maintain the position. This is a political game that is not only prevalent in Brazil but is a global phenomenon among political representatives. Nichter describes that “politicians often buy votes with freedom.” Vote buying has never been banned in Brazil and as such politicians were never reprimanded for it as it was seen as a norm and not an illegal act of corruption. In the 1990s, however, the issue became urgent and over a million Brazilians signed a petition against vote buying, resulting in the state's first national law not only to mitigate the act but also to intensely amplify prosecutions for clientelism during the Brazilian elections. In the following years, clientelism was the main reason for the dismissal of over a thousand Brazilian politicians. Nichter explains that Law 9840 prevents Brazilian politicians from buying votes with immunity and the risk of being prosecuted is significantly increased. Despite the attempt to reduce cronyism as a factor in corruption, many Brazilians have enjoyed the benefits. It is therefore evident that the practice of corruption in governance includes both citizens and government officials and as such the lack of development will in most cases affect the vulnerable who do not have the privilege of political connections and affiliations. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, it is evident that corruption factors, including bribery, nepotism, and cronyism, have robbed Brazil of its development potential. Corruption has caused several development problems that currently.