Of all political officials in the U.S., governors seem to dirty their hands at a relatively rate. Just last month, former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell (pictured above) was sentenced to two years in prison for receiving gifts in exchange for preferential treatment while in office. McDonnell is the 12th governor in U.S. history to be indicted on corruption charges, while many more have resigned under clouds of suspicion. Moreover, the trend of corruption among governors seems to be growing; just last week, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber resigned amid a scandal involving his fiance, adding his name to a list that includes the likes of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, former Missouri governor Roger Wilson and former North Carolina governor Mike Easley.
So what makes governors so seemingly susceptible to corruption? Moreover, is corruption a systemic weakness of the governor's office and/or political system in certain states, or a result of individual incompetence? Circumstantial evidence would point to the former - just direct your eyes to Illinois, whose politicians have long been notorious for their corruption.
So what makes governors so seemingly susceptible to corruption? Moreover, is corruption a systemic weakness of the governor's office and/or political system in certain states, or a result of individual incompetence? Circumstantial evidence would point to the former - just direct your eyes to Illinois, whose politicians have long been notorious for their corruption.