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Lobbyists beware: the rise of the illegal-gratuity statute

Article Abstract:

The illegal-gratuity statute prevents lobbyists from developing close ties with government officials through the transfers of gifts and valuables. The practice has weakened public confidence in government officials. However, officials defend their acceptance of gifts on grounds of personal friendship or legal entitlement. In 1962, President Kennedy sought to tighten rules on the acceptance of gifts by public officials. With the ineffectiveness of the 1989 Ethics Reform Act, Congress has adopted the illegal-gratuity statute as an effective weapon to combat the public acceptance of favours.

Donations, Political corruption, Public opinion, Conflict of interests (Public office), Conflicts of interest (Public office), Lobbyists

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Recruitment of the American presidential nominees and appointees: divestiture and deferred taxation of gain

Article Abstract:

The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 offers an effective solution for resolving the financial conflict-of-interest problems of American presidential nominees and other political appointees. The deferred-taxation-of-gain clause in the Act enables federal ethics officers to scrutinize the financial affairs of nominees and their families and suggest remedies, where required. Compliance with the remedy permits appointees to rollover capital gains from forced disinvestment of capital assets. This legal remedy was first used to address conflict-of-interest problems of Clinton's nominees.

Employee recruitment, Ethical aspects, Recognition of gain or loss (Taxation), Recognized gain or loss (Taxation), Nominations for office

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Moldovia: the transformation of post-Soviet society: philosophical and political considerations

Article Abstract:

Moldovia's democratic transformation had been viewed as an ancient drama about the continuous struggle involving power and freedom that always come with politics. It is an illustration of a conflict between proponents and opponents who think that mandatory guides exist for safe and fair politics. The Moldovan Republic suffers various difficulties in attaining democracy because it had not yet achieved the necessary preconditions to form a democratic government.

Political aspects, Democracy, Former Soviet Union, Moldova

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