Corruptocracy or The Government by Corruption

"We live in an era of corruption, one of an unprecedented development of corruption in our society. Many developing or crisis-stricken countries of regions including sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and even post-communist Eastern Europe, display an extraordinarily high level of corruption incidence. In these countries, a corrupt ruling oligarchy or elite maintains a totalitarian control over the political power and government. These governments rely on rampant corruption as an effective means for maintaining a tight control over the population, state power and public institutions. 'Corruptocracy' is a recently coined word for a type of government new to the field of political science, which has now emerged and is on the rise across the world. It is defined as the government by corruption or 'the government of the corrupt, by the corrupt for the corrupt.' Under such a government, a country is ruled by a dishonest oligarchy for the personal and exclusive gain of the ruling elite group, caste, or clique. While the notion of "corruptocracy" is of recent invention, various pioneer scholars had used it before us to describe situations of corrupt ruling classes in relation to systemic, endemic, or aggravated corruption in countries such as Brazil, France, Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, and the United States. My contribution in this study has been to modestly develop a conceptual definition and gather critical theoretical tools identifying corruptocracy as a system of government and politics. It is my hope that this new concept will help Political scientists to better understand or describe the functioning of political systems, institutions, and realities in various societies where corruptocracy arises. It shall be useful to whoever is interested in the study of power, corruption, or corruption in relation to power in any society. On a philosophical level, corrupocracy as a political system is a heresy. There is an urgent need for restoring the integrity of contemporary public servants, bureaucrats, political elites, leaders, and citizens as well as to reinstate the original 'humanocratic' nature and emblematic stature of the nation-state that was once virtuous. As a renewed institution, it shall draw its strength from the 'social contract' or fundamental law, its regained legitimacy and the "sovereign principle" inherent to any rule of law state. Thus, rising in dignity, justice and magnanimity, a non-corrupt state or government will fulfill its mission which is offering security to all and using available public resources to generously serve everyone, providing for their needs without discrimination."