Does public office corrupt or does public office attract the corrupt?

[Gravitycollapse]

Or is it a bit of both? There always seems to be this weird divide between the political leaders and the politically lead.

The historical philosophers always claim that those who should lead never want to lead. Is this a truism?

[Deep13]

1. Both, but our system seems to attract sociopathic and narcissistic personalities. nt

[leftstreet]

2. They don't see themselves as corrupt. Instead, entitled n/t

[hrmjustin]

3. Here in NYS I think it is the water at the capitol that does it.

[diabeticman]

4. Very good question. I believe it is a little of both but a slight edge to the attracting corrupt.

[GeorgeGist]

5. As a general rule you can't get far without being corruptible.

This is true in many, if not most, Western career choices.

[Fumesucker]

6. Yes n/t

[BlueCheese]

7. Ha! Agreed.

[closeupready]

8. As the expression goes, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

It's also true that those who can not be bought by big money are those who will NOT be elected to public office, or if they are elected, they will be destroyed, career-wise.

[LWolf]

9. Both.

At this point in time, it's difficult to elect someone without corrupting them in the process, and once in office they often have to BE corrupt to stay there.

[marsis]

10. Hang with thieves

become a thief. The "every one does it mentality" prevails, especially when people literally throw money at you, but of course they aren't buying votes.....uh....nope.
It takes a very special person to overcome the paradigm in DC.

[MicaelS]

11. I think many do run with the best intentions.

But, once elected, they find out they're not going to be able to be implement their idealism because system inertia resists massive change.

[randome]

12. 'Attract' more often, I think.

But politics also attracts those with entirely noble intentions who manage to keep their ethics yet cannot get much of anything done.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

[DirkGently]

13. Bit of both. And a bit of

the nature of the beast. Machiavelli spelled out the way it works pretty well. Leaders are busier maintaining their own power than with looking outfor the common good.

[Egalitarian Thug]

14. Some of each, but weighed more heavily toward the corrupt being attracted. n/t