Corruption and Politics: A Unique Solution

Indians or Americans are no strangers to corruption, right? We’ve all grown up hearing the names of scandals involving inconceivably large amounts throughout our childhood.

3G? Bofors? Coal? Chaara? Ring a bell?

Corruption in India (Source: Times of India)

All our lives, we’ve been told that corruption and government are two inalienable sides of the same coin.

It’s high time that changed.

Today, we shall talk about how corruption can be ended.

But first, it’s story time.

Imagine this: you’re a student at a reputed school.

You’ve been studying a lot to get good grades in your exam, devoting almost 6-7 hours a day. We’ve all been there right? Must be pretty easy to imagine.

Your exams go well, and when the results come out, you’ve gotten a pretty good score.

(Source: Study in Australia)

You get into the college of your dreams.

You work hard for 3 years in college, doing assignments on time and maintaining good relations with your professors.

You abhor all forms of social events like parties and festivals, preferring to use that time for studying.

After all these years of working hard, you finally complete your graduation, and get placed into a company. You have a package of approximately $100,000 a year, and you’re happy with yourself.

Until, something happens to change all of that.

(Source: SHRM)

You find out about this guy, who is still in school, and he has gotten a job offer from a company for $200,000 a year.

That’s right. Someone who is a lot younger than you, hasn’t worked as hard as you have, and hasn’t sacrificed nearly as much, who gets a package twice the size of yours.

Now, you might say that this is how the corporate world works, and I agree.

But that’s not the point here. The point is: how would you feel?

Think about it for a minute.

How would you feel? How would you react? What would go through your mind?

(Source: The Indian Express)

Is it resentment? Jealousy? Hatred? Sadness?

Would you feel as though you wasted those 4-5 years of your life doing all that hard work when it didn’t even pay off?

Well, congratulations! You have successfully managed to identify the root cause of corruption in politics.

Wait, what? How?

Here’s how.

On an average, an entry-level investment banker can expect to make north of $100,000 if he gets a campus placement on an established top-tier bank. Tech employees in Silicon Valley make around the same.

Mind you, these are 25-year-old graduates at the very beginning of their career graph, making in the 6 figures annually. And why shouldn’t they? They’ve worked for it. And they deserve it.

The Corporate World (Source: Big Business)

Executives at large firms in the United States make millions every year as salary, with an added bonus of stock options.

Even in India, on an average a medium-level executive can expect to earn above 1 crore INR annually if he is working with a big firm.

Now, let’s compare this to politicians.

The President of the United States makes only around $400,000 annually.

Let that sink in.

The leader of the free world makes less than a medium level manager at a firm.

Leader of the Free World (Source: CNBC)

When you compare this to India, it’s even worse.

The Prime Minister of India makes approximately 33 lakh INR a year.

Think about that.

The Prime Minister of the largest and most populated democracy in the world makes less than an entry level executive in the corporate field.

Also consider the fact that the executive has just started his career, whereas being the Prime Minister is actually the pinnacle of anyone’s career.

So, at the peak of his career, a politician makes less than a graduate?

Corruption in India (Source: Quora)

Does that sound fair?

No? That’s because it isn’t.

And this is why corruption is rampant in most countries.

Now, some people have argued that this low salary is because most expenses of the Prime Minister and other heads of state are paid for by governments, so most of their salaries actually go into savings. Well, to that I say: most executives still save a lot more than the Prime Minister or the President.

Also, what do you think is harder? Being a financial analyst in an investment bank, or running a gargantuan country with thousands of life-changing decisions to make and millions of little things to be considered?

Corruption is on the Rise! (Source: Catch News)

In a job like the Prime Minister, where the salary is not for expenses or sustenance, the amount being paid becomes more of a token of appreciation or a source of self-esteem. I don’t know about you, but earning less than a graduate when I’m at the peak of my career doesn’t sound like a very good option to me.

The best way to prevent corruption in the government is to give Heads of States competitive salaries. Their work is no less challenging than the CEO of any MNC, then why should they make only fractions of what those CEOs make?

Let me back that up with a fact: One of the highest salaries given to a Head of State is by Singapore, where the PM makes over 1.6 million dollars a year. Is it any surprise that the corruption levels of Singapore are considered to be among the lowest in the world?

A corruption-free system (Source: The Business Times)

The days of “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” are long gone, and today, being a Head of State is no less a management job than being a CEO. Hence, they should be paid at par with these roles.

Think about it this way: since their salaries are a token of appreciation for them, and they feel that the nation isn’t appreciating them enough, why would they be loyal to the nation anyways? If the country isn’t paying them the salary they deserve, then why not let the country go to hell and line their own pockets instead?

(Source: The Economic Times)

Every individual thrives on appreciation and recognition. Therefore, the solution to corruption is simple: appreciate them. Give them payment commensurate to the job that they’re doing. It’s surely cheaper than losing billions to corruption scandals. Think about it: a few million extra in salaries can help save billions in terms of corruption.  

-NK