How Standing Against Corruption Leads to Community Growth

Corruption is something that can plague societies in such a way that it hampers the growth opportunities of communities and nations. Standing against corruption and building integrity within systems restores trust in those institutions that leads to positive social outcomes. The benefits for tackling corruption fosters greater economic development and engagement that helps communities and societies flourish. It is also noted the corruption and violence (political or otherwise) are often associated and thus tackling one problem could lead to tackling the other as institutions focus closely on their essential purposes and roles. Corruption Perception Index (2022)

Hypothetical Example (Illustrative Purpose Only)

In this example a number of people experienced corruption and mistreatment at the hands of an embedded extremist leaning group and their tertiary social networks. While a few incidents may have brought forward the issue into public conscious, there was a wider group of victims who also experienced similar covert behaviors that ranged from targeting minorities as well as those who stood against such mistreatment all the way over to associated civil outcomes. Eventually, the layers of governmental institutions began to hold misaligned local institutions accountable and return them back into the fold of good governance (The benefits of different independent branches of government and reasonably independent agencies.) 

As the eyes and ears of the community became focused the people rallied to protect their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness through public exposure by bringing forward collectively violations of essential social contracts (The Eagles Eye). Covert behaviors became public record that dragged ill intent from the shadow of darkness into the blinding illumination of enlightenment (Allegory of the Cave of the Republic). A town that was once in decline converted their misfortunes brought by corruption and transformed it into creating a sense of community protection, engagement and a developmental perspective. Something that should make us proud. A free people standing for that freedom together!

Population growth, investment, and more integrity in local institutions took hold in a way that ensured the community didn't suffer the fate of other localities that failed to tackle these issues and found their future prospects slip through their fingers. The Will of the People forced the trajectory of fate to bounce off the bottom and into an upward momentum that benefited their society in a broad based fashion. What was plaguing society was cured through thoughtful reform so the people could reap the rewards of institutions that began to once again serve the greater public good. A success story (Hypothetically)!

Social Environment Impact of Corruption:

There is a wider context to corruption that occurs when poor values sets the standards for others who then begin to mimic or take their moral cues from inappropriate socially learned behaviors. Those on the receiving end of such corruption might find that the rules were radically different for different people creating stifling disparities. They collectively experienced that the disease of moral dilapidation locked them out of opportunities and minimized their meaningful engagement in society. Negative impacts that hampered opportunities for gainful employment as well as things like volunteering and general social engagement through dismissive and active marginalization. 

Furthermore we may find economic hampering where marginalization and misuse of power promoted poverty, lack of trust for local institutions, and general apathy that creates longer term barriers in society that robbed people of their contributions. Thus the impact of not tackling corruption has a profound impact not only on these communities but also on any community where such behaviors have been normalized (at least in part). Social Impact of Corruption on Community Resilience and Poverty (2017)

Educated and Informed Citizens:

Informed and educated citizens are the true patriots of society because they can differentiate between right and wrong as well as flip their rally caps to tackle such issues in new and unique ways. Peaceful and prosocial methods of understand and adjusting corruption leads to higher institutional trust that impacts the foundational benefits of universalized principles. Where obvious violations of rights occurred, people not only recognized them but also mustered their inner power to actively transform their environment for their and their children's futures. What we all should be doing.

Contrary to popular opinion in some circles, it is the process of standing firm on our social contracts and shared values that leads to the overall health of the whole. The people sought proper use of public resources for community development, integrity in local institutions, and a sense of purpose and togetherness. They made that happen in this example. As crazy as it sounds, economic and social development are a matter of many interrelated micro choices that lead to macro outcomes. An educated and informed population feathers higher performing societies. The value of human capital. Education and Institutional Trust (2012)