This analysis of political corruption and public policy in America considers such issues as the costs and benefits of political corruption, the causes of corruption, and the consequences of a corruption-free political system. J. S. Nye's definition of corruption is used for the discussion: 'behavior which deviates from the formal duties of a public role (elective or appointive) because of private-regarding (personal, close family, private clique) wealth or status gains: or violates rules against the exercise of certain types of private-regarding influence. ' Three general perspectives for understanding corruption are considered: (1) personalistic approaches, which deal with the kinds of people who hold positions of public trust; (2) an institutional view, which finds the causes of corruption in flaws or unrecognized biases in laws and institutions; and (3) a systemic perspective, which suggests that corruption grows from basic relationships between government and society. The development of the systemic view suggests that corruption is a form of influence that depends on the successful mobilization of political resources. Case studies of machine politics, police corruption, and Watergate are presented, followed by a case study that shows the difficulties of reform to counter corruption. An analysis of the broad social and political consequences of corruption considers both the costs and benefits of corruption. The concluding chapter offers a few reform strategies and policy proposals, tempered by a comment on the necessity of a realistic perspective of corruption in a democratic society. A selected bibliography has 61 listings, and a subject index is provided. Illustrative tabular information and footnotes accompany each chapter.