Honest Elected Officials – How Do You Find Them?
Political Psychologists suggest the following practices to protect against political insider corruption:
1. Trust your eyes and compare notes with others.
2. Wise up to weasel words, aka rationalization.
3. Review and report—audit local government meetings.
4.Who do you serve? Is power for self-enrichment or a way to serve others?
5. “Not for sale.” Know the character traits of people who are incorruptible.
6. Beat the bully. Dupuy and Neset find that several studies support Tepper’s (2010) recommendation that the abuse of power is curtailed when people are provided with skills to confront and report corrupt officials.