Corruption and the American Way of Life
Nov 18, 2025
Dr. Paul Clarke
Corruption and the American Way of Life
The fight against corruption has been an unspoken key theme of the American Experiment. The Thirteen Colonies, the American Revolution, and the US Constitution were all remedies to living under a corrupting monarchy. In the modern era, we think of corruption as national-level practices by authorities that impair the integrity and function of government to the benefit of a person or group. Indeed, the casual observer would say that the world is living through a pandemic of corruption.
In this talk, the speaker will define the current state of corruption around the world, and how it is impacting the US. Since the US has experienced corrupt periods before (think the Gilded Age), Americans have previously found strategies to overcome corruption and build a better society. Indeed, progressives on the left and right made California a leading actor in defeating the corruption the Gilded Age. Can California be a catalyst to get past the corruption that engulfs the US now? What will it take to return to good governance?