Money Morales

MONEY AND ETHICS

AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY

By

Brenttyn Cooper

Abstract

Lobbying and bribery are two very similar yet very different terms. Each term has characteristics unique unto itself. Though similar terms the mentioning of one rather than the other could be the difference in a lengthy jail sentence or pat on the back for a job well done. Amid allegations questioning these same two terms the Salt Lake Organizing Committee has had its gift giving practices to influential IOC members brought into question. The big business of the Olympics and bribery. (1999, January 15). Those guilty of bribery should be punished, but examining the differences between bribery and lobbying is something that involves further discussion.

What is bribery is a question one may ask. Bribery by definition is the act of persuading somebody to exercise his or her judgment in your favor by offering cash or a gift and thereby gaining an unfair advantage. Many organizations have codes of conduct that expressly forbid the soliciting or payment of bribes (bribery, n.d.). When discussing both bribery and lobbying the next logical question is what is lobbying? Lobbying by definition is “to promote (as a project) or secure the passage of (as legislation) by influencing public officials" (lobbying, n.d.).

Given those two text book definitions of the terms the real difference appears to come from a more practical and sensible place. The thought to this author appears very simple in that lobbying appears to be designed as a tool. One should use lobbying to gesture a small gift or pay for a dinner to establish good conversation and business rapport to better state your case. Use the gift or gesture as means for a starting point to negations like discussing business opportunities over a dinner or a round of golf. Bribery on the the other hand is a more covert corrupt act, in which the idea is to illegally influence the outcome, thus undermining the free market principal much...