3 ms·

> how do they classify "corruption"? I was asking myself the same about lobbying. Is lobbying some form of "legalized corruption"? Reading their explanation ju

• mseebach 14y ago
  That's the beauty of measuring perception instead of the real thing.
• saraid216 14y ago
  Strictly defined, lobbying is about educating representatives on behalf of special interests. However, lobbying is a lot like sales. Even if what you're selling isn't actually the best product for your customer, you still have a vested (if somewhat conflicted) interest in convincing them to buy it. Similarly, even if your special interest isn't actually the best policy for the public of which you're a part, you still have a vested interest in convincing them to enact it. Sales and marketing spend a lot of time, money, and effort on building a positive association in your mind with their brand. This is a very standard and well-accepted technique, and it's the same technique that lobbyists apply when they loophole bribery by inviting people to lavish get-togethers for business meetings. The reason it's okay when it comes to business transactions, but not okay in government policy is simply because it violates the social contract. If not for that, a backroom negotiation that results in a negative government policy is not much different from a big corporation buying your favorite startup and making its product suck as a result. The fundamental problem is identical: the difference is the amount of say you expected to have.