American Corruption Talk A Political Etymology

"It is perhaps a sign of our era that 'corruption' in its popular use has come to serve as a term indicating a sentiment rather than a vehicle for the exchange of precise contents among people. Robert Boatright and Molly McGrath examine the shifts in the meaning of the term as used by past philosophers and its development until it came to exemplify what Goethe had in mind when he warned that 'when an idea is wanting, a word can be found to take its place.' American Corruption Talk is not only a fascinating and informative study but a valuable one for our times. It is an important work." - Jonathan Mendilow, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Rider University and Chair of the International Political Science Association's Research Council on Political Finance and Political Corruption (2009-2024)

"In 1621, Francis Bacon was convicted of corruption for soliciting bribes, yet this use of public power for private gain was open and common practice and there was a certain novelty in calling it corrupt. (It probably was seen similarly to a service provider suggesting a tip today.) Boatright and McGrath provide an engaging reconstruction of how our discourse on the topic of corruption came to be where it is today." - David Schmidtz, Presidential Chair of Moral Science at the Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University