The concepts of governmental crime, state crime, and political white-collar crime relate to offenses committed by individuals or entities within the government or political sphere. While there is some overlap between these terms, they have distinct characteristics:
1. Governmental Crime: Governmental crime refers to criminal activities committed by individuals or groups within the government or associated with government functions. This can include illegal actions such as abuse of power, human rights violations, illegal surveillance, and misconduct by government officials.
2. State Crime: State crime involves illegal actions that are perpetrated or sanctioned by the state itself. This includes crimes committed in the pursuit of state policies or interests, such as war crimes, genocide, torture, and state-sponsored terrorism.
3. Political White-Collar Crime: Political white-collar crime refers to illegal activities committed by individuals in positions of political power or influence, often involving financial fraud, bribery, embezzlement, or other forms of corruption. These crimes typically occur in political contexts and involve abuses of power for personal or political gain.
The concepts of abuse of power, corruption, bribery, and political scandal have special significance within these contexts:
- Abuse of Power: This refers to the misuse of authority or position for personal or political gain, often involving actions that violate laws, policies, or ethical norms.
- Corruption: Corruption involves the misuse of public power for private gain. It includes actions such as bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and favoritism, which undermine the integrity and fairness of government institutions.
- Bribery: Bribery involves offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting something of value as a means to influence the actions or decisions of a person in a position of power or authority.
- Political Scandal: Political scandals typically involve public exposure and scrutiny of unethical or illegal activities by individuals or groups in the political sphere. These scandals can damage reputations, erode public trust, and have far-reaching political consequences.
The first set of concepts, particularly governmental crime and state crime, can be controversial for several reasons:
1. Lack of Consensus: There may be debates and disagreements over what actions should be considered criminal when committed by governments or states, as the legal framework for defining and prosecuting these offenses can vary across jurisdictions.
2. Sovereign Immunity: Governments and state actors often enjoy certain immunities and legal protections that can make holding them accountable for criminal acts challenging.
3. Political Sensitivity: Investigating and addressing governmental and state crimes can be politically sensitive, as it may involve challenging or questioning the legitimacy and actions of those in power.
These concepts relate to the traditional concept of white-collar crime in that they often involve non-violent offenses committed by individuals in positions of power or influence. However, governmental crime and state crime focus specifically on the actions of government entities or individuals associated with the government, whereas white-collar crime encompasses a broader range of economic and financial offenses committed by individuals in professional or business contexts.
Governmental crime has been relatively neglected by criminologists for various reasons:
1. Focus on Street Crime: Criminology traditionally has had a strong focus on street crime, such as robbery, assault, and drug offenses, while governmental crime has received less attention.
2. Political Factors: Governmental crime involves powerful actors and institutions, making it politically sensitive to investigate and study. This can create obstacles and resistance to research and analysis.
3. Data Availability: Obtaining data on governmental crime can be challenging due to issues of transparency, limited access to official records, and the covert nature of certain crimes.