speech on corruption free society

Tackling Corruption to Create a More Just and Prosperous World: Jim Yong Kim

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World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim Anti-Corruption Summit 2016 London, United Kingdom

On behalf of the World Bank Group, I thank the Government of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister David Cameron for his leadership in bringing us together to address the scourge of corruption. All over the world, citizens are rising in protest against governments that are perceived as corrupt. Corruption poses an enormous obstacle to economic and social development and the global goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, but we know that we can and must do much more to combat it.

Corruption is, quite simply, stealing from the poor. It undermines growth and prosperity twice over – not only in the act of siphoning away resources from their intended purposes, but in the long-term effects of services not delivered –vaccines that are not received, school supplies that are not delivered, roads never built. In my travels around the world, I have seen the corrosive impact of corruption on the lives of the poor and the resulting sharp decline of trust that citizens have in their governments.

Twenty years ago, my predecessor James Wolfensohn delivered a ground-breaking speech in which he called on the world to take action against the quote “cancer of corruption.”  Since his speech, we have worked hard to turn aspirations into action: We have zero tolerance for corruption, we have opened the World Bank to scrutiny, and we are influencing governments and the private sector to take wide-ranging steps to prevent corruption.

It is now time to go further. I join Prime Minister Cameron, President Buhari and Secretary Kerry in a call to action to governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations on a new agenda that draws on citizens’ demands for transparency and accountability, an agenda that draws on all partners and available tools. It’s an agenda that builds on what we at the World Bank are calling “radical transparency” which is both a recognition of the inevitable global acceleration of a transparency that is being forced upon us and our own commitment to use this transparency to fight corruption more effectively. .

First, we must continue to push for more information and greater transparency involving public funds. In Sierra Leone, working with the UK’s Department for International Development and our United Nations counterparts, we helped the authorities design and implement a secure system of transfers that ensured the right amount of money would reach the right people on time, transparently and with accountability. This not only contributed to the fight against the Ebola epidemic, but it also built the confidence of the population in the government’s fight against the outbreak.

The publication of the Panama Papers reminds us of the rapid expansion and power of transparency, leading to calls to end tax havens for the very wealthy who hide their money from governments.

Radical Transparency. There is no going backward.  We must ensure that greater transparency will drive the prevention and uncovering of corruption in the years ahead. Looking forward, we stand ready to support emerging international agreements that will build standards and systems that enhance the exchange of information between countries to avoid the illicit flow of funds.

Second, we must use innovation and technology to drive change around the world. Technology can help us improve service delivery and increase scrutiny of how resources are used. Use of biometrically-based Smart Cards in India has meant fewer resources were siphoned off from their intended purposes -- holders received 35 percent more money for a public jobs program than other program beneficiaries and received their payments 30 percent faster. In Mindanao, in the Philippines, geo-spatial tracking and digital photography have contributed to timely construction of roads in conflict-ridden areas.

Third, we must do more to get citizens and the private sector involved.  While information is becoming more accessible, it is troubling that the space for citizens and non-state organizations to voice their objections is often diminishing. The death of activists, such as Berta Caceres, Nelson Garcia and so many others in Honduras, has had a chilling effect on accountability. We must do all we can to protect the defenders of transparency.  

And finally, we know that successful anti-corruption efforts must feature a broad coalition of leaders both inside and outside of government, working together. While the global dialogue on corruption has often focused on corruption in the developing world, recent events highlight the role of policies and practices in developed countries that enable corruption. Studies have demonstrated that ill-gotten assets are often sheltered in developed countries, which further impoverishes developing countries.

We salute and strongly support Prime Minister Cameron’s call for a coordinated global effort to fight corruption. We say to all those who are enriching themselves through corruption, we are committed and radical transparency is here to stay. At the World Bank Group, our goal is to end extreme poverty in the world and we will not allow corruption to stand in the way . We, will rededicate ourselves to fighting the cancer of corruption and move ahead with urgency stop those who are stealing from the poor. This is both our moral duty and one of the best possible strategies for economic development. Thank you.

• Anti-Corruption
• Essay: How to tackle corruption to create a more just and prosperous world

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• Speech Writing /

Media and Corruption: Short and Long Speech in English for School Students

• Updated on  
• Mar 30, 2024

Media and corruption are often interlinked. The primary purpose of media is to spread awareness of social, political, and economic developments. Apart from this, the media also plays an important role in exposing corruption and unethical activities. In a media organization, say the Times of India, there are separate departments for handling matters of different fields. Some cover sports media, some monitor economic and political activities, and some corruption and illegal activities. Let’s dig more into media and corruption in a short and long speech format.

Quick Read: Speech on Corruption

Short Speech on Media and Corruption

‘Good morning teacher and fellow students. Today, I stand before you to present my ‘ Speech on Media and Corruption.’ We all understand the importance of media and the irreplaceable role it plays in making us aware of developments around the world. But, are we aware of the role it plays in exposing corruption and corrupt leaders?

Media and corruption are like a cop and thieves; always ready to expose the culprits. Media and reporters are like watchdogs, always looking out for corrupt practices and bringing them to the public’s attention. 

Through investigative journalism, media outlets uncover examples of bribery, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption that would otherwise remain hidden from public view. By exposing these injustices, the media not only raises awareness but also puts pressure on authorities to take action.

Not only this, if any political leader or a big businessman is involved in corruption and related activities, the media is always read with its weapons; a mic and a camera. 

Media plays an important role in holding those in power accountable for their actions. The media and its reporters are always out there, fighting corruption and trying to eradicate it from its roots.

Thank you.’

Quick Read: Importance of Sex Education Speech for Students

Long Speech on Media and Corruption

‘Good morning respected Principal ma’am, teachers, and fellow students. Today, I would like to present my views on media and corruption. Everyone wants a corruption-free country, but do you know who can make the magic happen? Yes, it’s the media and its dedicated reports.

In our battle against corruption, the media is our frontline warrior, always ready to strike with its mic and camera. Medi serves as a powerful tool in exposing wrongdoing, holding the powerful accountable, and encouraging transparency in the country. 

We often see in the news or read in newspapers about a politician or a businessman involved in corruption or unethical activities. The media is always hungry to expose such corrupt leaders and wrongdoers. 

Media organizations often conduct rigorous reporting and analysis to investigate government policies, expose conflicts of interest, and demand transparency from those in positions of authority. 

Media provides a platform for social activists and whistleblowers, who are always ready to speak out against corruption without fear of reprisal. A lot of people have witnessed firsthand corruption in their lives, Media provides a voice to these victims, amplifies their messages and encourages others to come forward with their own experiences. Such developments are important to fight against and create a corruption-free society.

Not only this, the media also educates us about the detrimental effects of corruption on society as a whole. Media reports and analyses highlight the economic, social, and political consequences of corrupt practices. The media makes us aware of how harmful corruption is. It mobilizes public support for anti-corruption initiatives and fosters a culture of intolerance towards corrupt behavior.

A lot of times, the media is accused of being biased, only showing what’s in their interest, or being controlled by a central authority. To some extent, such accusations are correct. At times, the media is manipulated and used by government officials. As they say, there are two sides of a coin. We must understand both sides of a news or report shown against corruption by the media.

In conclusion, I would like to say that recognizing the important role of media in fighting corruption can help the nation progress. This can be a step towards building a corruption-free state.

Thank you!’

Related Reads: 1 and 2 Minute Speech on Value of Time

Ans: Media and reporters are like watchdogs, always looking out for corrupt practices and bringing them to the public’s attention. Through investigative journalism, media outlets uncover examples of bribery, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption that would otherwise remain hidden from public view. By exposing these injustices, the media not only raises awareness but also puts pressure on authorities to take action.

Ans: In our battle against corruption, the media is our frontline warrior, always ready to strike with its mic and camera. Medi serves as a powerful tool in exposing wrongdoing, holding the powerful accountable, and encouraging transparency in the country.  We often see in the news or read in newspapers about a politician or a businessman involved in corruption or unethical activities. The media is always hungry to expose such corrupt leaders and wrongdoers. 

Ans: ‘Good morning respected Principal ma’am, teachers, and fellow students. Today, I would like to present my views on media and corruption. Everyone wants a corruption-free country, but do you know who can make the magic happen? Yes, it’s the media and its dedicated reports. Media provides a platform for social activists and whistleblowers, who are always ready to speak out against corruption without fear of reprisal. A lot of people have witnessed firsthand corruption in their lives, Media provides a voice to these victims, amplifies their messages and encourages others to come forward with their own experiences. Such developments are important to fight against and create a corruption-free society.

Popular Speech Topics for Students

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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JOHN F. KENNEDY, “ADDRESS: THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESS” (27 APRIL 1961)

[1] Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen:

[2] I appreciate very much your generous invitation to be here tonight.

[3] You bear heavy responsibilities these days and a article I read some time ago reminded me of how particularly heavily the burdens of present day events bear upon your profession.

[4] You may remember that in 1851 New York Herald Tribune, under the sponsorship and publishing of Horace Greeley, employed as its London correspondent an obscure journalist by the name of Karl Marx.

[5] We are told that foreign correspondent Marx, stone broke, and with a family ill and undernourished, constantly appealed to Greeley and Managing Editor Charles Dana for an increase in his munificent salary of $5 per installment, a salary which he and Engels ungratefully labeled as the “lousiest petty bourgeois cheating.”

[6] But when all his financial appeals were refused, Marx looked around for other means of livelihood and fame, eventually terminating his relationship with The Tribune and devoting his talents full time to the cause that would bequeath to the world the seeds of Leninism, Stalinism, revolution and the cold war.

[7] If only this capitalistic New York newspaper had treated him more kindly; if only Marx had remained a foreign correspondent, history might have been different and I hope all publishers will bear this lesson in mind the next time they receive a poverty-stricken appeal from a small increase in the expense account from an obscure newspaper man.

[8] I have selected as the title of my remarks tonight “The President and the Press.” Some may suggest that this would be more naturally worded “The President versus the Press.” But those are not my sentiments tonight.

[9] It is true, however, that when a well-known diplomat from another country demanded recently that our State Department repudiate certain newspaper attacks on his colleague it was unnecessary for us to reply that this Administration was not responsible for the press, for the press had already made it clear that it was not responsible for this Administration.

[10] Nevertheless, my purpose here tonight is not to deliver the usual assault on the so-called one-party press. On the contrary, in recent months I have rarely heard any complaints about political bias in the press except from a few Republicans. Nor is it my purpose tonight to discuss or defend the televising of Presidential press conferences. I think it is highly beneficial to have some 20,000,000 Americans regularly sit in on these conferences to observe, if I may say so, the incisive, the intelligent and the courteous qualities displayed by your Washington correspondents.

[11] Nor, finally, are these remarks intended to examine the proper degree of privacy, which the press should allow to any President and his family.

[12] If in the last few months your White House reporters and photographers have been attending church services with regularity that has surely done them no harm.

[13] On the other hand, I realize that your staff and wire service photographers may be complaining that they do not enjoy the same green privileges at the local golf courses which they once did.

[14] It is true that my predecessor did not object as I do to pictures of one’s golfing skill in action. But neither on the other hand did he ever bean a Secret Service man.

[15] My topic tonight is a more sober one of concern to publishers as well as editors.

[16] I want to talk about our common responsibilities in the face of a common danger. The events of recent weeks may have helped to illuminate that challenge for some; but the dimensions of its threat have loomed large on the horizon for many years. Whatever our hopes may be for the future—for reducing this threat or living with it—there is no escaping either the gravity or the totality of its challenge to our survival and to our security—a challenge that confronts us in unaccustomed ways in every sphere of human activity.

[17] This deadly challenge imposes upon our society two requirements of direct concern both to the press and to the President—two requirements that may seem almost contradictory in tone, but which must be reconciled and fulfilled if we are to meet this national peril. I refer, first , to the need for far greater public information; and, second , to the need for far greater official secrecy.

[18] The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.

[19] That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it’s in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.

[20] But I do ask every publisher, every editor, and every newsman in the nation to re-examine his own standards, and to recognize the nature of our country’s peril. In time of war, the government and the press have customarily joined in an effort, based largely on self-discipline, to prevent unauthorized disclosures to the enemy. In times of “clear and present danger,” the courts have held that even the privileged rights of the First Amendment must yield to the public’s need for national security.

[21] Today no war has been declared—and however fierce the struggle may be, it may never be declared in the traditional fashion. Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe. The survival of our friends is in danger. And yet no war has been declared, no borders have been crossed by marching troops, no missiles have been fired.

[22] If the press is awaiting a declaration of war before it imposes the self-discipline of combat conditions, then I can only say that no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of “clear and present danger,” then I can only say that the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent.

[23] It requires a change in outlook, a change in tactics, a change in missions—by the government, by the people, by every businessman or labor leader—and by every newspaper. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence—on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly-knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

[24] Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match.

[25] Nevertheless, every democracy recognizes the necessary restraints of national security—and the question remains whether those restraints need to be more strictly observed if we are to oppose this kind of attack as well as outright invasion.

[26] For the facts of the matter are that this nation’s foes have openly boasted of acquiring through our newspapers information they would otherwise hire agents to acquire through theft, bribery or espionage; that details of this nation’s covert preparations to counter the enemy’s covert operations have been available to every newspaper reader, friend and foe alike; that the size, the strength, the location and the nature of our forces and weapons, and our plans and strategy for their use, have all been pinpointed in the press and other news media to a degree sufficient to satisfy any foreign power; and that, in at least one case, the publication of details concerning a secret mechanism whereby satellites were followed required its alteration at the expense of considerable time and money.

[27] The newspapers, which printed these stories were loyal, patriotic, responsible and well-meaning. Had we been engaged in open warfare, they undoubtedly would not have published such items. But in the absence of open warfare, they recognized only the tests of journalism and not the tests of national security. And my question tonight is whether additional tests should not now be adopted.

[28] That question is for you alone to answer. No public official should answer it for you. No governmental plan should impose its restraints against your will. But I would be failing in my duty to the Nation, in considering all of the responsibilities that we now bear and all of the means at hand to meet those responsibilities, if I did not commend this problem to your attention, and urge its thoughtful consideration.

[29] On many earlier occasions, I have said—and your newspapers have constantly said— that these are times that appeal to every citizen’s sense of sacrifice and self-discipline. They call out to every citizen to weigh his rights and comforts against his obligations to the common good. I cannot now believe that those citizens who serve in the newspaper business consider themselves exempt from that appeal.

[30] I have no intention of establishing a new Office of War Information to govern the flow of news. I am not suggesting any new forms of censorship or new types of security classifications. I have no easy answer to the dilemma that I have posed, and would not seek to impose it if I had one. But I am asking the members of the newspaper profession and the industry in this country to reexamine their own responsibilities—to consider the degree and the nature of the present danger—and to heed the duty of self-restraint which that danger imposes upon us all.

[31] Every newspaper now asks itself, with respect to every story: “Is it news?” All I suggest is that you add the question: “Is it in the interest of national security?” And I hope that every group in America—unions and businessmen and public officials at every level—will ask the same question of their endeavors, and subject their actions to this same exacting test.

[32] And should the press of America consider and recommend the voluntary assumption of specific new steps or machinery, I can assure you that we will cooperate whole-heartedly with those recommendations.

[33] Perhaps there will be no recommendations. Perhaps there is no answer to the dilemma faced by a free and open society in a cold and secret war. In times of peace, any discussion of this subject, and any action that results, are both painful and without precedent. But this is a time of peace and peril which knows no precedent in history.

[34] It is the unprecedented nature of this challenge that also gives rise to your second obligation—an obligation which I share. And that is our obligation to inform and alert the American people—to make certain that they possess all the facts that they need, and understand them as well—the perils, the prospects, the purposes of our program and the choices that we face.

[35] No President should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. And both are necessary. I am not asking your newspapers to support [an] Administration, but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. For I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed.

[36] I not only could not stifle controversy among your readers—I welcome it. This Administration intends to be candid about its errors; for, as a wise man once said: “An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors; and we expect you to point them out when we miss them.

[37] Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed—and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian law-maker Solon decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment—the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution—not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply “give the public what it wants”—but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.

[38] This means greater coverage and analysis of international news—for it is no longer far away and foreign but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improved understanding of the news as well as improved transmission. And it means, finally, that government at all levels, must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security–and we intend to do it.

[39] It was early in the Seventeenth Century that Francis Bacon remarked on three recent inventions already transforming the world: the compass, gunpowder and the printing press. Now the links between the nations first forged by the compass have made us all citizens of the world, the hopes and threats of one becoming the hopes and threats of us all. In that one world’s effort to live together, the evolution of gunpowder to its ultimate limit has warned mankind of the terrible consequences of failure.

[40] And so it is to the printing press—to the recorder of man’s deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news—that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.

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What is the role of free speech in a democratic society?

Book co-edited by prof. geoffrey stone examines evolution, future of first amendment.

Free speech has been an experiment from the start—or at least that’s what Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes suggested nearly a century ago in his dissent in  Abrams v. United States , one of the first decisions to interpret and shape the doctrine that would come to occupy a nearly sacred place in America’s national identity.

Since then, First Amendment jurisprudence has stirred America in novel ways, forcing deep introspection about democracy, society and human nature and sometimes straddling the political divide in unexpected fashion. In the past 100 years, free speech protections have ebbed and flowed alongside America’s fears and progress, adapting to changing norms but ultimately growing in reach.

And now, this piece of the American experiment faces a new set of challenges presented by the ever-expanding influence of technology as well as sharp debates over the government’s role in shaping the public forum.

That’s why Geoffrey R. Stone, the Edward Levi Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago Law School, and Lee Bollinger, the president of Columbia University, two of the country’s leading First Amendment scholars, brought together some of the nation’s most influential legal scholars in a new book to explore the evolution—and the future—of First Amendment doctrine in America. 

The Free Speech Century  (Oxford University Press) is a collection of 16 essays by Floyd Abrams, the legendary First Amendment lawyer; David Strauss, the University of Chicago’s Gerald Ratner Distinguished Service Professor of Law; Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa; Tom Ginsburg, the University of Chicago’s Leo Spitz Professor of International Law; Laura Weinrib, a University of Chicago Professor of Law; Cass Sunstein, a professor at Harvard Law School; and others.

“Lee and I were law clerks together at the Supreme Court during the 1972 term,” Stone said. “I was with Justice Brennan and Lee was with Chief Justice Burger. We have both been writing, speaking and teaching about the First Amendment now for 45 years. This was a good time, we decided, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s first decision on the First Amendment with a volume that examines four basic themes: The Nature of First Amendment Jurisprudence, Major Critiques and Controversies over Current Doctrine, The International Impact of our First Amendment Jurisprudence, and the Future of Free Speech in a World of Ever-Changing Technology. Our hope is that this volume will enlighten, inspire and challenge readers to think about the role of free speech in a free and democratic society.”

Stone, JD’71, has spent much of his career examining free speech— a topic he first became passionate about as a University of Law School student.

The University has a long tradition of upholding freedom of expression. UChicago’s influential 2015 report by the Committee on Freedom of Expression, which Stone chaired, became a model for colleges and universities across the country.

The collection takes on pressing issues, such as free expression on university campuses, hate speech, the regulation of political speech and the boundaries of free speech on social media, unpacking the ways in which these issues are shaping the norms of free expression.

One essay, for instance, explores how digital behemoths like Facebook, Twitter and Google became “gatekeepers of free expression”—a shift that contributor Emily Bell, a Columbia University journalism professor, writes “leaves us at a dangerous point in democracy and freedom of the press.” Her article examines foreign interference in the 2016 election and explores some of the questions that have emerged since, such as how to balance traditional ideas of a free press with the rights of citizens to hear accurate information in an information landscape that is now dominated by social media.

Technology, the editors write, has presented some of the most significant questions that courts, legal scholars, and the American public will face in the coming decades.

“While vastly expanding the opportunities to participate in public discourse, contemporary means of communication have also arguably contributed to political polarization, foreign influence in our democracy, and the proliferation of ‘fake’ news,” Stone writes in the introduction. “To what extent do these concerns pose new threats to our understanding of ‘the freedom of speech, and of the press’? To what extent do they call for serious reconsideration of some central doctrines and principles on which our current First Amendment jurisprudence is based?”

In another essay, Strauss, an expert in constitutional law, examines the principles established in the 1971 Pentagon Papers case,  New York Times Co. v. United States.  The landmark ruling blocked an attempt at prior restraint by the Nixon administration, allowing the  New York Times  and  Washington Post  to publish a classified report that reporters had obtained about America’s role in Vietnam. The threat to national security wasn’t sufficiently immediate or specific to warrant infringing on the papers’ right to publish, the Court said at the time.

But today’s world is different, Strauss argues. It is easier to leak large amounts of sensitive information—and publication is no longer limited to a handful of media companies with strict ethical guidelines. What’s more, the ease with which information can be shared—digitally as opposed to carefully sneaking papers in batches from locked cabinets to a photocopier, as military analyst Daniel Ellsberg did when leaking the Pentagon Papers—means that a larger number of people can act as leakers. That can include those who don’t fully understand the information they are sharing, which many have argued was the case when former IT contractor Edward Snowden allegedly leaked millions of documents from the National Security Agency in 2013.

“[T]he stakes are great on both sides,” Strauss writes, “and the world has changed in ways that make it important to rethink the way we deal with the problem.”

Ultimately, the health of the First Amendment will depend on two things, Bollinger writes: a continued understanding that free speech plays a critical role in democratic society—and a recognition that the judicial branch doesn’t claim sole responsibility for achieving that vision. The legislative and executive branches can support free speech as well.

What’s more, modern-day challenges do not have to result in an erosion of protections, Bollinger argues.

“[O]ur most memorable and consequential decisions under the First Amendment have emerged in times of national crises, when passions are at their peak and when human behavior is on full display at its worst and at its best, in times of war and when momentous social movements are on the rise,” he writes. “Freedom of speech and the press taps into the most essential elements of life—how we think, speak, communicate, and live within the polity. It is no wonder that we are drawn again and again into its world.”

—Adapted from an article that first appeared on the University of Chicago Law School website.

Related content

• Examining the importance of free expression
• Podcast: SCOTUS Nears Unimaginable Era with Geoffrey Stone

Publications

The Free Speech Century

Geoffrey R. Stone, Lee C. Bollinger

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This Supreme Court has redefined the meaning of corruption

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Ciara Torres-Spelliscy is affiliated with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law as a fellow and is a board member of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

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The U.S. Supreme Court is deregulating corruption, with arguably grim consequences for American democracy.

The latest example of this troubling trend was the case known as Snyder v. United States . At first glance, this may have seemed like a narrow, wonky case about whether a part of the U.S. criminal code that outlaws bribery also covers “gratuities.”

Yet the court’s decision, issued on June 26, 2024, kneecaps federal prosecutors’ power to go after corrupt government officials.

Snyder follows a pattern of the current Supreme Court I’ve documented in three books . Since John Roberts became its chief justice in 2006, the court has made prosecuting corruption, especially at the state and local level, nearly impossible for federal prosecutors.

Gift, gratuity or bribe?

The Snyder case centered on a former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who was charged with violating federal anti-corruption law while he was mayor. He accepted US$13,000 from a truck company in 2014 after the city had signed a $1.1 million contract to buy trash trucks.

Mayor James Snyder showed up at the trucking business and said, “I need money.” He claimed the payment was a consulting fee, or gratuity.

In a 6-3 decision, along ideological lines, the court’s conservative majority overruled the lower court that convicted Snyder of bribery and the appeals court that had affirmed his conviction. The mayor should not have been prosecuted, the justices said, because federal anti-corruption statute Section 666 in question covers only bribes and not gratuities.

And bribes, it said, are paid before an official action, not after that official action is complete.

In his majority opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh explained why it’s not desirable for federal prosecutors to go after small-time local crooks. For one thing, he argued, many states and cities already have their own laws about politicians and gratuities; thus, the Department of Justice need not play Big Brother.

“Section 666 does not supplement those state and local rules by subjecting 19 million state and local officials to up to 10 years in federal prison for accepting even commonplace gratuities,” Kavanaugh wrote.

Deregulating campaign finance

The Supreme Court has also been narrowing what counts as corruption in campaign finance.

In a 2007 case called WRTL II , the court blew a huge hole in a federal campaign finance law called the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as McCain-Feingold. Among other regulations, McCain-Feingold had barred “electioneering communication,” when corporations and unions buy campaign ads in the lead-up to voting.

In WRTL II, the court ruled that “corruption” in political campaigns must be “of the ‘quid pro quo’ variety, whereby an individual or entity makes a contribution or expenditure in exchange for some action by an official.”

This definition means that a briber must be cartoonishly bold in demanding a specific vote from a lawmaker in exchange for cash. Most bribery in the real world is more subtle, as the Supreme Court once recognized.

Under Roberts’ predecessor, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the majority of justices – both left-leaning and right-leaning – saw efforts by political donors to set the agenda for political parties and elected officials as an improper corruption of the political process.

As the Rehnquist Court once concluded , corruption occurs “not only as quid pro quo agreements, but also as undue influence on an officeholder’s judgment, and the appearance of such influence.”

Money in politics

The Roberts Court’s most notorious acquiescence to money in politics was Citizens United . Issued in 2010, the Citizens United decision decided that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend as much money as they want on political ads in any American election.

Limiting corporate spending on political ads has “a chilling effect” on corporate free speech, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, and the government’s “anti-corruption interest” does not trump that concern.

The court reiterated this stance in 2014, when it threw out the federal limit of $123,000 in total donations per person to federal candidates over a two-year election cycle. In McCutcheon v. FEC , the court again insisted that campaign finance regulations must target only quid pro quo corruption – or “dollars for political favors.”

“Campaign finance restrictions that pursue other objectives impermissibly inject the Government” into deciding who wins an election, wrote Roberts in his majority opinion.

The chief justice was unswayed by arguments that strong campaign finance rules ensure rich and poor have an equal say in elections.

“No matter how desirable it may seem, it is not an acceptable governmental objective to ‘level the playing field,’” he wrote in McCutcheon.

Today, individual donors may sink unlimited funds into a federal election.

Redefining fraud

The Roberts Supreme Court has substantially narrowed the definition of corruption in white-collar crime cases, too.

In 2016’s McDonnell v. United States , the justices declared that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell did nothing wrong when he touted a dubious health product on behalf of a man who had paid for McDonnell’s wife’s clothes and his daughter’s wedding.

Four years later, the Supreme Court decided that the federal government could not prosecute a woman named Bridget Anne Kelly involved in the 2013 Bridgegate Scandal , when aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, including Kelly, intentionally caused a stifling traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge to punish one of Christie’s political opponents.

“Not every corrupt act by state or local officials is a federal crime,” wrote Justice Elena Kagan, typically considered a liberal justice, in Kelly v. United States .

The Supreme Court continued this trend in a 2023 case called Percoco v. United States .

Joseph Percoco, an aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, had been convicted of fraud in 2018 for accepting $315,000 from two New York-based corporations to promote policies that favored their businesses. The Supreme Court threw out the conviction , in large part because the money exchanged hands while he was working on Cuomo’s 2014 election campaign – meaning he was not technically in government.

Yet, Percoco used a New York government phone approximately 837 times during that period, suggesting he wanted the outside world to perceive him as a government insider with access to political power.

Traditionally, private individuals found to have “ dominated and controlled ” government business, as Percoco was alleged to have done, could be guilty under federal law of what’s called “honest-services-fraud.” Since Percoco, that term now covers only bribery and kickbacks.

The Supreme Court’s lax stance on corruption endangers the integrity of American democracy, as I explain in my latest book, “ Corporatocracy .” From McDonnell to Kelly to Percoco to Snyder, its rulings have eviscerated anti-corruption law. That sends a message to the corrupt: “You can be venal with few legal consequences.”

Corrupt people get a pass; good government takes another hit.

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How to make progress in the fight against corruption

Rajni bajpai, bernard myers.

People have been either fighting corruption or have been victims of it for decades. So, should we accept it as a feature of life and carry on or try to fight it where we can? While developing our global report , which was released last week, we tried to delve deeper into how countries are making progress in addressing corruption. The case studies identified show how reform-minded governments and civil society organizations have contributed to reducing corruption in their specific contexts or laid important foundations that can be built on by others.

Virtually every continent, from Asia to Africa, Europe and the Americas, faces perpetrators who bypass or exploit weaknesses in existing laws and regulations to execute schemes, which have been increasing in scale and sophistication. Corruption undermines the credibility of the public sector, erodes trust in governments and their ability to steer a country to achieve high economic growth and shared prosperity.  It often weakens the impact of public service delivery, adversely affecting all citizens especially the poor. 

The report comes at a time when the world has changed dramatically due to COVID-19. The spotlight is once again on the capacity and integrity of the public sector -- not just in managing the health crisis but also in dealing with the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.  

Emergency responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in huge expenditures by governments, circumventing the standard operating procedures and approval processes. This may create new vulnerabilities and leakages that may only come to light after the initial containment phase has passed. It is at this juncture that the World Bank has undertaken a fresh assessment of the challenges and opportunities faced by governments in tackling corruption in key functions and sectors  . We examine the lessons learned from applying selected policy instruments that were designed to mitigate corruption risks, as well as the role and challenges faced by institutions that are intended to promote integrity and accountability.   

Drawing lessons from a compendium of case studies from around the world, the report demonstrates that all is not lost and that it is possible to reduce corruption risks even in the most challenging environments. The complex nature of corruption means that technical solutions and added compliance measures will usually be insufficient. A good understanding of the historical origins, social norms, and political culture is often critical to design impactful policies and institutional structures that can support their implementation.

At the same time, one must acknowledge the potential challenges from the forces that benefit from the status quo. There will be resistance owing to the strong inter-play between power, politics, and money.  The scope for reformers to make changes will therefore be constrained by the limits of their political influence. It could be a long and frustrating journey with two steps forward and one step backward.

The report presents approaches and policy responses in various country contexts.  It reinforces that there is no single formula or magic bullet to address corruption. For example, open government reforms can be effective in promoting an ethos of transparency, inclusiveness, and collaboration and in shifting norms over time by making conditions less conducive to corrupt activity. However, their impact depends on the existence of other enabling factors, such as political will, a free and independent media, a robust civil society, and effective accountability and sanctioning mechanisms. 

Case studies featured in the report highlight that multiple factors contribute to the impact of anti-corruption efforts, including political leadership, institutional capacity, incentives, technology, transparency and collaboration. Enhanced collaboration with stakeholders within and outside of government is a critical success factor in overall government effectiveness. Such collaboration involves both the public and private sector, civil society, media, research organizations, think-tanks and citizens. Strengthening the fight against corruption is a collective responsibility! 

Editor’s Note: This blog is part of a series that helps unpack our new  global report, Enhancing Government Effectiveness and Transparency: The Fight Against Corruption .

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Civil society: A key voice in tackling corruption in education

Eol_web.png.

When education is free of corruption, and a strong culture of transparency and accountability prevails, doors can open for millions of children and youth worldwide. They can access their right to quality education. To accelerate, how can the education sector join forces with civil society organizations? Education Out Loud grantees from Tanzania, Cambodia, and Zimbabwe explain. 

Spotlight on Tanzania

Roselyne Mariki, the Country Manager for So They Can in Tanzania, recently completed a multi-faceted capacity development programme organized by IIEP-UNESCO as a Global Learning Partner for Education Out Loud (EOL) , the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)'s fund for advocacy and social accountability. 

Through this programme, Mariki along with some 90 other participants, joined a four-week online course on tools – i.e. public expenditure tracking surveys ,  codes of conduct , citizen report cards , and integrity pacts – that civil society actors can help implement to improve transparency and accountability in education. 

Mariki joined the course’s Learning Champion path, which allowed her to team up with other Tanzanian civil society organizations and a government official to develop a common project and action plan on how to apply the code of conduct tool to enhance transparency and accountability. 

This was an eye-opening learning opportunity for me”. Roselyne Mariki, Country Manager, So They Can, Tanzania

Mariki says most public schools face many challenges, such as poor infrastructure or lack of sufficient resources to deliver quality education. “However, since communities are responsible for resourcing the public primary schools, there is a need to empower them to understand how their contributions are valuable to the provision of quality education to their children. And how they can make sure that resources intended for the schools are actually used for the schools”, she explains. 

Armed with new skills and knowledge, Mariki says she is now ready to act. First, share with the team the lessons learnt from the course, and second, as part of strengthening the School Management Committees, tackle the lack of ownership around school report cards so that they are more transparent and accessible to all stakeholders including students, parents and community members. 

Together with her fellow EOL grantee team members, she is planning to work on a project focusing on codes of conduct for higher education teachers, an idea that was conceived during the training course. She says that ‘lecturers are not teachers’, and some misuse their positions for their own benefit, including sexual exploitation. There is also a disconnect regarding who is holding these teachers accountable”. 

“This is a burning issue that needs to be addressed”, Mariki says. “Through this training, we have an opportunity to really explore this jointly with other organizations and implement a new project as a starting point for Tanzania”.

Spotlight on Cambodia

Vera Ushurova is a project coordinator for the NGO Education Partnership in Cambodia, a coalition of around 128 organizations that advocates for better policy implementation. 

After joining the capacity development programme offered by the IIEP, including the course and two webinars on school report cards and open government, she’s now focusing her efforts on filling information gaps between state-level policies and how they are rolled out in remote areas.

“There is not a lot of communication about policy implementation in the remote areas between provincial and national level stakeholders. Ultimately, there are too few feedback mechanisms,” she says.

To tackle this, she relies on a series of policy implementation checklists, a variation of the more classic School Report Card, to observe, monitor, and report on specific policies and policy standards. “This is very useful, and it can be done by civil society quite effectively,” she says. 

Regarding the course, she found the self-paced module remarkably user-friendly and enjoyable. She firmly believes that the other EOL grantees who participated in this course have gained significant benefits and enhanced their capacities to address corruption in the education sector. 

The course provided us with opportunities to work both individually and in a team. Also, our group was incredibly diverse”.  Vera Ushurova, project coordinator, NGO Education Partnership, Cambodia

Spotlight on Zimbabwe

Naison Bhunhu, the Director of ZINECDA , said he was able to learn about what other civil society actors are doing around the world – from Ghana to Pakistan – through the interactive forums. He also pursued the champion path and tuned into the webinars on school report cards and open government in education. 

He says he now has a stronger grasp on how to use various tools that are at his disposal, which allow him and his colleagues to play the role of a watchdog in Zimbabwe’s early childhood development sub-sector. 

The importance of transparency and accountability typically arises during budget analyses. “Issues of inequity are very much pronounced, and in terms of the allocation of resources,” he says. “We tend to see the better-trained teachers being allocated to urban stations and less so in rural areas, and this is not good for the mantra that no child should be left behind”. 

One of the challenges is that information is not systematic in the public arena. Or when it is, it may be outdated, and it cannot inform decision-making processes”. Naison Bhunhu, Director, ZINECDA, Zimbabwe 

Bhunhu is determined to help foster a more conducive environment for the implementation of early learning in Zimbabwe. One idea he has now after completing the capacity development programme is to draw evidence from the annual public expenditure tracking surveys (PETS) and school report cards to boost his organization’s advocacy at the national level.

New research on how to engage civil society organizations in education sector policy design and implementation

This capacity development programme is also informing a new IIEP research study on how to involve civil society organizations in sector planning and implementation.

To achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4 ), educational planning and management must become more inclusive and participatory. Educational planning must also be capable of adaptation, considering the evolving needs of the population, the job market, and increasing uncertainties in our world today. 

The engagement of civil society is key to ensuring that citizen voices are heard and that marginalized populations are served more effectively. Civil society can also act as a watchdog, to ensure that educational policies reflect real needs and that any identified issues are quickly addressed and resolved. 

• Gender at the Centre Initiative for education: A journey in graphics 01 August 2024
• How civil society uses digital tools to increase accountability in education 30 July 2024
• Community input is key to successful educational planning: Q&A from Samoa 25 July 2024
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Speech on Corruption for Students and Children

Speech on corruption.

I welcome you all present here. I am here to present a speech on Corruption. By corruption, we mean that any dishonest or immoral behavior or activities that result in the gain of some powerful organization or people. Thus, corruption often results in loss to the weaker section of the society or organization. There are different forms of corruption. It includes extortion, nepotism, parochialism, bribery, patronage, cronyism, etc. Corruption may lead to human and drug trafficking, money laundering, police brutality, repression of opponents, etc.

Source: pixabay.com

Forms of Corruption

A Bribe involves a payment made to any official for the exchange of use of his official powers. It involves two parties: the one who pays for any favor and the one who accepts the payment for official powers.

Influence peddling or trading in influence involves three parties to act. It means a person or organization selling their influence over the decision-making process so that a third party profits from it.

Favoring supporters (Patronage), favoring relatives (Nepotism) and favoring friends (Cronyism) of an official for private gain are forms of corruption. In these many incompetent people are leaders in the system over the able ones.

Illegal interference with the election process is Electoral fraud. The theft of entrusted public funds for personal benefit is Embezzlement.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Effects of Corruption

Political effect: Corruption becomes a major roadblock for the rule of law and democracy. The political system loose its legitimacy when power is used for private advantage.

Economical effect: It depletes national wealth. The betterment of the communities and societies are compromised for the benefit of the profit of some officials, therefore, leads to the misuse of national resources.

Social effect: The community or society gives up trust in the system. This makes it even more challenging to remove corruption from the system.

Environmental effect: Corruption results in the degradation and exploitation of precious natural resources. This results in turbulence in the ecological systems.

Ways to fight Corruption

There are five ways of fighting corruption.

Effective law enforcement is the key to ensure the corrupt culprit is punished. For this purpose, we need a strong legal framework.

Steps focussing on improving financial management and strengthening the role of auditing agencies will help in curbing corruption. This will include transparent and participatory budgeting by local communities and local governments.

The tradition of government openness, freedom of the press, transparency, and access to information help in curbing corruption.

Strengthening citizens’ demand and empowering them to make government accountable is a great approach to build mutual trust between the government and the citizens.

The international financial system should be under the scanner to stop money laundering by corrupt officials. Hence, major financial institutes need to put a check to stop their banks and allied financial centers across the globe from accepting illegal flows of money.

To sum it up, Corruption is the biggest evil of any society. All necessary steps must be taken to eliminate this evil. Not only the ones with power but at times even the weaker section of the society tend to become a culprit in this.

I hope that from now on every individual will strictly oppose and prevent corrupt activities from occurring anywhere around us. Thus, this will ensure the complete socio-economic and political development of our society and country at large.

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Speech on Corruption for Students in English | 3 Minutes Speech

December 10, 2020 by Sandeep

Speech on Corruption: Corruption poses a highly significant issue for the Indian democracy hindering the wheels of economic growth and prosperity. It creates a huge gap and raises risk levels for investors to operate their businesses on our lands. The global corruption perception index has indicated worrisome rankings for the country’s corruption level. Accepting and offering bribes represents is illegal according to our constitution. Entitlements and social spending schemes are the largest fishnets, where corruption is rampantly present.

Speech on Corruption 500 Words in English

Below we have provided Corruption Speech in English, suitable for class 7, 8, 9 and 10 school students.

Good morning to one & all present here. Today I ……… is going to express my views on the topic of corruption. Corruption is defined as some unethical activity or behaviour, which results in some gain. We all are aware of the rate of increase of corruption in our country. India is a beautiful land, but its beauty is getting lost by the corruption that is happening. There is no sector left which has been untouched by corruption.

There are many forms of corruption which we often hear about in the news. It involves two parties, one who pays & one who do the favour. Bribery is one of them in which offering monetary or any other benefits to any official for easy processing of documents, for admission in colleges, schools, for jobs, for ticket in election & many more. Even nowadays, media persons are bribed to broadcast a particular program on their news channel.

Nepotism is a word which we all must have come through, which means favouring relatives over others for a specific position, work etc. The most live example to nepotism is crystal clear in Bollywood where people with connections are given a chance over others. There are also other forms of corruption like patronage, which means favouring supporters, cronyism means favouring friends.

There are adverse effects of corruption on the economy of a country. It often results in loss to the weaker section. It depletes the national wealth, which is for the betterment of the country. Corruption is a significant challenge for democracy as it hinders the implementation of laws & violates them. It also results in depletion or overexploitation of natural resources. Now the question comes how to fight against corruption? Now we should ask ourselves this question of how many times we as citizens have opposed corruption?

The strict enforcement of rules & regulation with punishment to the culprit has become the need of the time. Freedom of press, transparency & access to information will help in curbing corruption. The foremost important step is citizen demand; we all must demand our government for a corruption-free society. We also need to ensure that we all are abiding the rules set by the government. I want to end my speech with a quote by Angel Gurria.

“Integrity, transparency and the fight against corruption have to be part of the culture. They have to be taught as fundamental values.”

Short Speech on Corruption 150 Words

Find below corruption speech, usually given for class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 students

A warm welcome everyone present here. We all are present here to discuss the much-hiked issue of today’s democracy, that is corruption. We all are aware of what corruption is & also aware of the different forms of corruption. Let it be bribery, favours, nepotism or cronyism; it’s the high time that we all must be alert & raise our voice against the issues. Corruption has highly impacted the pride of a nation like India, where democracy is our fundamentals.

The corruption has affected our political systems, economic balances, social harmony & environmental misbalance. The corrupted political system has resulted in wrong persons on power & discontentment among people. Corruption has led to larger impacts on the weaker section of the society. It has also depleted our national wealth & natural resources. We all need to understand that this immoral & dishonest activity is not going to help anyone of us, but it is degrading the system more & more.

The government need to focus on strict laws & regulations with proper implementation. Do remember that we all have the power to stop corruption, everything starts from ourselves only. Let us not support the corruption, which is the biggest evil of the society. Let us join hand to eliminate corruption from our society. Let us work on inculcating the same values to children right from childhood for a brighter future of our country.

We all must pledge today to never indulge in corruption or support any activity in which corruption is involved.

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• Speech on Corruption For Students in English

Speech on Corruption

When a speech about such a universal topic as corruption is concerned, one needs to pay heed to its common nature, that it touches all lives. Every member in the audience has been a victim or a perpetrator of corruption, knowingly or unknowingly. So, it would be a good idea to first make the audience aware about the topic at hand. Including examples that the audience can relate to is a good attention-grabbing tool wisely incorporated at the beginning of the speech on corruption.

First take hold of the audience’s attention, then say what one has to say. When a person or organization uses its authority and power for its personal gain, that is called corruption. Unfortunately, corruption is rampant across the globe, transcending all boundaries. So much so that wherever there is power, there seems to be corruption. It is a matter that touches all lives. Hence this topic concerns the entirety of humanity.

Connecting with the Audience

People connect to similarities. When something similar to their life is talked about, people pay attention. While corruption is a common thread that sadly connects every person, many might not be aware of it. But people do relate when an unjust superior is mentioned, or an overbearing elder relative.

Spreading the Points in Speech

Once the attention of the audience is grabbed, it is time to distribute the important points across the speech in a way that the audience would remember them. Hence, it is a good idea to keep the speech from becoming too monotonous or academic. Even academicians find purely academic speeches boring unless one talks about some radical once-in-a-lifetime discovery or invention.

Tone of the Speech

This is where the tone of the speech has to be kept in mind. A light-hearted but sincere tone appeals to everyone. But it needs to align with the personality of the speaker. It would be unwise for a quiet, serene person to give a speech that is full of jokes and funny moments. The student needs to keep the tone of the speech such that it comes naturally to him or her. If something feels unnatural, keep it out of the speech.

Empathy in Speaker

Another aspect that makes a speech successful is when the audience connects with the speaker as a person. This is perhaps the most elusive trait to grasp in all, but not impossible. To connect to the audience like this, the speaker needs to think of the audience and him/herself as fellow humans. When the speaker thinks and speaks with empathy for the audience and treats each one of them (through his speech) as individuals with a life of their own, with dreams and problems, that is when the audience can’t help but feel that strong intangible connection with the speaker. Great orators in history have this kind of connection with their audience and this is how they have inspired thousands and millions to move and act for their cause.

Long Speech

Hello to all the esteemed members of the audience. Today I wish to share with you some of my views on the prevailing practice of corruption. 

As a much used and prevalent term, many of us must have often wondered as to how we define corruption. Many among us must also have been intrigued as to what can actually be categorized as corruption. Well, to put it in words, we can define corruption as any sort of practice that allows the party or parties partaking in an inordinate benefit or advantage. Many-a-often, corruption is seen to disproportionately favor the outcome of an event, which would not have been the case otherwise.

Various forms of media have often quoted the term ‘corruption’ in relation to powerful people, organizations, political parties and even justice systems. Corruption is what allows some people to escape from the clutches of law and order. Some of the common forms of corruption that we often witness include bribery, money laundering, peddling, extortion, patronage, embezzlement, electoral fraud, etc. Within an organization, the practice of other forms of corruption such as nepotism, cronyism, etc. is also prevalent. 

Political parties are also seen practicing corruption in order to gain influence over the people. 

Corruption prevents the prevalence of justice. As a result of this malpractice, deserving people are often robbed of apt opportunities. This practice is often seen to have a domino effect as it gives rise to a chain of events triggered by a single act. In other words, corruption brings about death to democracy. People engaging in corruption often turn a blind eye towards justice systems touted as an important pillar of democracy. The outcome of corruption, which is usually in favor of the more powerful section of society, also leads people to lose faith in the democratic process. 

Now that we have discussed corruption in detail, we should also make ourselves aware of how we can prevent the same from taking place. Effective law enforcement is often the key to halt this practice. This ensures that corrupt officials are being punished for their crimes. Other measures of curbing corruption include the practice of effective journalism, transparency on the part of the government in terms of policies and other norms, strengthened roles of auditing agencies, etc. The citizens must also be strengthened to raise questions and the government should also be made accountable in order to put an end to corrupt practices.

As citizens and human beings, it is our responsibility to see to it that we do not indulge in any type of corruptive behavior. Great visionaries have time and again stressed on the fact that one of the prime means to bring about peace and end chaos is by giving up corrupt practices. Beside limiting ourselves, we must also see to it that corruption and unjust practices in our vicinity do not go unreported and work with the law enforcement in this regard. Only by establishing a corruption-free society, can we make this world a better place to live in.

Short Speech- Speech on Corruption

A warm welcome to all the lovely ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you today to deliver a few lines on the topic of corruption.

Corruption, a term we often come across, implies the employment of malpractices often resulting in benefit or advantage to the party who employs the same. In various world scenarios, people practicing corruption are often in possession of ill-gotten gains which allow certain or numerous circumstances to work in their favor. In our day-to-day life, we all must have come across corrupt people in business, organizations, politics and more.

There is no one conformed form of corruption. It can range from anywhere from a small bribe to nepotism, patronage, extortions, etc. As often witnessed, corruption often loops in other crimes under its aegis. Due to the practice of corruption, money laundering, human and drug trafficking, kidnapping are also on the rise. Various political parties are also seen to indulge in corruption for harnessing power. Corruption has always been one of the causes for the lack of development of the weaker sections of the society as the practice has been known to favor the rich and powerful.

I would like to conclude by saying that corruption is a hindrance to democracy and the justice system. As a nation striving to advance on all fronts, be it social or economic, we must ensure that we abstain from all kinds of corrupt practices. We should also be vigilant about the corruption prevailing in our society and do everything in our power to ensure a just and equal society is being established.

10 Lines Speech- Speech on Corruption

Greetings of the day to all. Today I am here to present a speech on corruption. Corruption refers to immoral behavior that some people employ to gain benefit.

Corruption often involves dishonesty and misuse of power that allows an undue benefit to some people.

As commonly seen, the more powerful people usually practise corruption which allows them certain advantages. 

The weaker or the less powerful people are generally who suffer as a result of this practice. 

Corruption has many forms like bribery, extortion, etc. 

Practicing corruption can result in several ill effects on society and prevents the practice of justice. Corruption gives people the power to indulge in several harmful activities. 

In conclusion, I would like to say that we should refrain from practicing corruption and also be aware of any such person in this manner. Instead, we should work collectively in order to remove this evil from our society and build a better environment for all.

Explanation for speech on corruption for students in english is available on the Vedantu website. Study materials and notes on these topics have been very nicely written by the highly experienced and qualified teachers to help the students to grasp the concepts nicely. To access all the study notes registered at Vedantu .

FAQs on Speech on Corruption For Students in English

1. What not to say in a speech on corruption?

A student needs to keep in mind to always keep the speech respectful in tone and not call out any individual for faults or shortcomings. It is wise to keep in mind that the speech is usually for evaluation and not for activism.

2. What do teachers judge when a student gives a speech?

Teachers weigh the student’s ability to speak clearly and persuasively about a topic. The judges also read the speaker’s body language, so posture and limb movement should be paid attention to. To know more download the free pdf from Vedantu.

3. Is there a golden rule for public speakers?

There are golden lists but the basic rule that applies to a speaker or anyone is, do unto others what you wish them to do to you. A speaker is just another member of the audience whose turn it is to speak. So, before saying anything, it is wise to remember how the student felt as a listener. If personal stories of speakers were boring, then keep them out of the speech. If a certain kind of anecdote was gripping, include something similar in the speech.

Youth for integrity, innovation and lifelong learning: towards a fair and corruption-free society

17 December 2021

• Young people now play a crucial role in building a more just, equitable, resilient and sustainable world, an essential part of which involves countering corruption.

Young people are just as affected by corruption as others in society. Corruption can affect their prospects for a decent future and employment as well as impeding access to education, health care and other basic services. Corruption is stealing their future, so the world’s 1.8 billion young people have a major stake in countering it.

Youth can be drivers of changes in attitudes and behaviour, and it is in the interests of decision-makers to harness young people’s energy, ideas and power of mobilization. And around the world, young people are playing a crucial role in developing and implementing innovative, creative anti-corruption efforts.

In many places youth-led civil society organizations and individuals are providing a unique contribution in preventing and countering corruption. Many young people from these organizations came together at the virtual Youth Forum in May 2021. The Youth Forum’s statement  was delivered to the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS) in June 2021 by Serena Ibrahim, Founder of Youth against Corruption, Lebanon, who said there is no more time for business as usual and delivered 10 key requests for creating a future with zero tolerance for corruption.

Corruption is not the only factor affecting young people’s future prospects. The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt young people who have experienced an unprecedented disruption in education, employment, social interaction, and their ability to discover the world. They now play a crucial role in building a more just, equitable, resilient and sustainable world, an essential part of which involves countering corruption. Young people are also seeking accountability from leaders for decisions made in COVID-19 responses, to strengthen institutions and the rule of law through transparency and anti-corruption measures.

Education and youth

To effectively promote a culture of integrity and build a generation that stands for resilience to corruption, education is key. Working with children in a classroom setting at an early stage in their educational development can provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand how to react when confronted with corruption and unethical behaviour. From an early age, children can be taught about the ethical standards to be expected of both the public and private sectors. In addition, children can learn that criminal justice systems should be fair, just and humane. Through such an early learning approach, the views of corruption can be gradually challenged and changed.

Young people can help to promote integrity and be powerful agents of change by developing innovative and impactful solutions within their communities, with support from decision makers.

At the Conference, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will be launching a new global initiative focused on youth education, GRACE. The initiative aims to empower the next generation to act with integrity and be less tolerant of corruption and unethical practices.

GRACE, the Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment , will help Member States to incorporate anti-corruption, integrity and ethics into national education curricula for primary and secondary schools.  It will promote teaching and research at the tertiary level with grants to universities and academic institutions, anti-corruption summer schools for students and a global anti-corruption fellowship programme. It will establish a youth advisory board of youth ambassadors to enable young people to provide their perspectives and insights on tackling corruption.

The GRACE Initiative builds on UNODC’s earlier projects, Education for Justice (E4J), which sought to prevent crime and promote a culture of lawfulness through education activities designed for primary, secondary and tertiary levels and the Anti-Corruption Academic initiative.

Meaningful youth engagement in anti-corruption

The “YouthLED” Integrity Advisory Board being set up by the GRACE initiative will bring together a group of 16 talented young people, working to advance education and youth empowerment as a key tool to prevent and fight corruption locally, regionally and globally.

YouthLED will support GRACE in advancing its four cross-cutting principles – partnerships, innovation, gender and youth, by engaging with young people in their respective countries and regions, as well as globally; advocating for the GRACE initiative within their communities to disseminate good practices and experiences of anti-corruption education; and provide training and learning opportunities on GRACE tools and resources.

By establishing YouthLED, UNODC will help youth to realize their rightful and decisive role in the making of policies that will concretely affect their future, harness young people’s ideas and perspectives and meaningfully integrate them within UNODC’s anti-corruption youth-related work.

Technology and youth

Young people across the world are at the forefront of mobilizing technology for the common good. To leverage this, UNODC has been hosting a series of hackathons, or coding challenges, most recently in Africa.

The “Coding4Integrity” hackathon in October brought together the talent and skills of 200 young developers from five African countries - Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa - who worked on innovative tech solutions that can help to curb corruption.

The young developers in 65 teams had to come up with their own ideas on how to counter corruption through technology using Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Dapp Development or Web2 Development. Each of the 65 teams chose a single thematic area such as transparency in public administration or in public procurement and the administration of public finances, safe and reliable reporting of corruption and financial investigations.

The five winning country teams, Team Valoro from Egypt, Team Enigma from Kenya, Team STEM from Nigeria, Team Fisk from Senegal and Team Blockchain Bulls from South Africa, will unveil their projects at the Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.

The Coding4Integrity hackathon represents one very impactful way in which GRACE is promoting the union between digital innovation and social entrepreneurship as a gateway to meaningfully empower young people to take action against corruption.

Looking to the future

The way society views and addresses corruption can be revolutionized if young people are involved in the planning, design and implementation of anti-corruption frameworks, tools, and policies at the national and international levels.

There is much to be gained from engaging young people in the fight against corruption and intergenerational collaboration is fundamental to achieving solidarity, transparency, accountability, and trust among States, people and generations as we aim to end corruption.

Further information for the media

Conference website of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Conference website of the Host Country

Webcasts of the Plenary meetings will be available in Arabic , Chinese , English , French , Russian , Spanish  as well as the language spoken on the conference floor

For further information contact:

UN entities involved in this initiative

Goals we are supporting through this initiative.

Speech on Corruption

Corruption is like a disease eating away at society’s health. It’s when someone in power misuses their position for personal gain. You might see it in politics, business, or even sports.

Understanding corruption is important for everyone. It helps you recognize when things aren’t fair or just.

1-minute Speech on Corruption

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good day to all! Today, I would like to share my views on a topic that deeply affects our society – corruption. Corruption is a dark cloud that looms over our bright, promising future, obstructing the rays of growth, development, and progress.

In its essence, corruption is dishonest behavior by those in a position of power. This could be a politician misusing public funds, a teacher skewing grades in return for gifts, or a businessman indulging in shady deals for personal gain. It is an evil that degrades the moral fabric of society and weakens the principles on which our world operates.

Corruption, unfortunately, is rampant in many parts of the world. It cripples the economic growth of a country, affecting the most vulnerable sections of society. It hampers the fair distribution of resources and opportunities, creating an unequal society where the rich continue to get richer, and the poor, poorer.

In conclusion, it’s vital for us to understand that corruption is not just an individual’s problem, but a societal issue. Only when we acknowledge this fact, can we fight it effectively. Let’s strive to build a corruption-free society, a society that our future generations will be proud to inherit.

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2-minute Speech on Corruption

Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It is an unethical method used by a person to benefit from others. Not only is corruption held in the society, it is rooted in political systems too. It is indeed a major obstacle in the path of a nation’s growth and development.

Corruption takes on many forms. It ranges from small favors between a small number of people to a widespread culture of bribery in a society. It can involve granting or witholding huge sums of money. Often, it is so common that it is expected. It can involve a multitude of crimes, and it exists in all shapes and sizes, undermining the social and economic development of a society.

In the political world, corruption obstructs democracy and the rule of law. In a democratic system, public institutions and offices may lose their legitimacy when they misuse their power for personal gain. This corruption undermines the institutional capacity of government, as procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold.

In the business world, corruption increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments themselves, the management cost of negotiating with corrupt officials, and the risk of breached agreements or detection. This directly harms the public, as the cost of corruption is passed on to the consumers.

Moreover, corruption corrodes the social fabric of society. It undermines people’s trust in the political system, its institutions, and its leadership. A distrustful or apathetic public can then become yet another hurdle to challenging corruption.

Furthermore, strict laws should be enacted to deal with corruption. There should be no leniency for anyone found guilty of corruption. Transparency in the system should be promoted and anyone should have the right to question the system and its workings.

In closing, corruption is a complex issue with roots deep in societal and institutional structures. It is a global problem that all countries must work to combat. It is not just a matter of changing laws and regulations, but of reshaping human behavior and attitudes. The fight against corruption may be tough, it may be lengthy, but it is a war that we must wage and win for the sake of our future generations. It’s high time that we all stand together and say NO to corruption.

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Speech on Corruption Free India in Simple and Easy Words – Infinity Learn

Table of Contents

To live in Corruption Free India is a dream of every Indian. Isn’t it? Therefore, it’s such a glaring issue for our country that it has become a centre of discussion for almost everyone – whether it’s our political leaders, news media, students, or the public. Keeping this in mind, we have covered some Speech on Corruption Free India here so that students or people who have to cover a speech on Corruption for any possible reason can benefit from it. Both the short speech on Corruption Free India and the long speech on Corruption Free India have been covered by us, keeping in mind different contexts under which we can place the topic called corruption. So please browse through our website’s pages and find relevant and useful material for your help.

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Corruption Free India Speech

Speech on corruption free india 1.

A Very Warm, Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Before I begin with my speech on ‘Corruption Free India,’ please allow me to welcome you all to our seminar hall. I also want to congratulate everyone for the successful completion of our previous gatherings, where we not only engaged in serious discussions, but our NGO committee also decided on certain measures and tried well to work towards the betterment of our society. This is our 21 st gathering for discussing yet another pertinent issue that rakes havoc in our society and country at large.

Now, as your host for today, I, Rajeev Khanna, owe the responsibility to deliver a speech on ‘Corruption Free India’ so that today’s discussion can be initiated after that. I have no shame in admitting that when we talk about our nation India and the serious issues, it is grappling with, one cannot fail to mention Corruption, which is rampant here. As a citizen of our country, our lives surely cannot remain untouched by this issue. I am sure you will all agree that no matter where we go, particularly any public sector, whether an educational institution or any administrative department, corruption always follows. Our no query or problem would be resolved without loading the pocket of a public official. The hypocrisy or double standards of our government officials have been exposed time and again by various journalists.

Moreover, if you approach any educational institute, private institutions in particular, for admission, it will not be possible until and unless you bribe the department head with a hefty amount. It is so unfortunate that it’s only the middle class or poor class who face the brunt, and instead of rising high on the ladder of society, they become victims of social ills, and the affluent classes go unscathed. This is primarily why the gulf between rich and poor becomes impossible to traverse, the rich continue to become richer, and the poor continue to become poorer. This is the sad reality of our nation as, despite many initiatives by the government and NGOs, it gets tougher with the ever-passing time to uproot social evils from our motherland.

However, having said that, we cannot give up on our dream of a corruption-free India; hence, we should work relentlessly towards making our country a better place to live in. The major onus of freeing India from all its social evils lies on the shoulder of our youth, who are the torchbearer of our nation. If our youth are taught good values and encourage holistic growth of their personalities, we can certainly raise our nation’s growth many notches. Secondly, it is very important to raise the status of the marginalized section of our society and give them equal opportunity to grow in terms of education as well as job opportunities; then, it will not only be possible to eradicate poverty from our nation but also to accelerate its all-round development.

Now, I would request all the members to share their thoughts on the same and suggest some concrete measures which can be taken to combat corruption.

Speech on Corruption Free India 2

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Committee Members, Respected Teachers, and My Dear Friends!

I welcome everyone to our school auditorium and extend my special thanks to our respected principal, vice principal, and teachers for making this event possible and gracing the occasion with their presence.

Dear Fellow Students, I, Monika Saha – the head girl of our school, have taken this wonderful opportunity on the eve of Independence Day to talk about the most pertinent issue that our country is grappling with, i.e., Corruption and how we can fight this issue so that a firm foundation for Corruption Free India can be laid down.

I am not here to give you a dark, bleak picture of our motherland, but we also cannot turn a blind eye towards the social evils of our society of which corruption forms an indispensable part. We indeed live in a multicultural land where people from different religions live together and rejoice in each other’s festivities and celebrations. We as a nation are culturally and historically rich, having great artifacts and monuments for the world to look at with amazement and wonder. But of course, we cannot fail to lament our country’s sad political and economic state, where corruption has adversely impacted its economy and hence the credibility of our local, state, and central government organizations. Corruption has not only prevented the economy of our country from achieving new heights, but its pervasiveness has stunted India’s growth policies and measures.

Do we even realize how and in what forms corruption makes inroads in our lives where we become victims or facilitators of corrupt activities? The chief causes of corruption in India consist of unwarranted regulations, the want for transparent processes and laws, intricate tax and licensing systems, various public departments functioning with opaque discretionary and bureaucratic powers, and the hegemony of government-controlled agencies on the delivery of goods and services. There are striking disparities in the corruption level and in the efforts of the government to curb the severity of corruption across the nation-state.

In our day-to-day lives, we come across many facets of corruption. For instance, if we are seeking admission to a good school or renowned institution, it cannot happen until we bribe the administrative officials or the working staff. Or else, if we are eligible to work as a public officer, we cannot get the entry, despite coming on the merit list, unless we give the officials their desired amount.

However, many anti-corruption acts are being passed by the government to address this situation, such as Right to Information Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002; Prosecution Section of Income Tax Act, 1961; Indian Penal Code, 1860, etc. It depends on the government officials and, of course, the people of our country how they act upon these preventive measures and immediately report to the police or the concerned authority any unlawful activity that takes place right under our nose.

There is no second thought on the fact that if we as a nation can work together to uproot corruption from our land or even reduce it to the levels of such flourishing economies as the UK or Singapore, for that matter, then that day will not be far behind when we could witness India’s GDP growth increasing at a fast pace like never before.

Speech on Corruption Free India 3

Warm Greetings to our hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Dear Colleagues, and My Dear Students!

Today in the assembly hall, I, your Social Science Teacher, have been asked to deliver a speech on Corruption Free India for all the students so that each and every child can take the onus of eradicating corruption from our society on his/her shoulder and make this place a better place to live in.

Corruption is undeniably one of the most menacing evils deeply entrenched in our society ever since India gained its independence and is weakening our country’s economic base. At every level of Indian administration, unfortunately, corruption has taken a heavy toll and is wearing down the structure of our economy. Whether it’s the public or private sector, Indian people are prone to misuse their position or power to fulfill their unwarranted desires and make a fortune out of it. However, little do they realize that they are causing serious harm to our nation and its growth because such people are increasing in numbers daily and eating our nation’s wealth like a moth.

Building a corruption-free India is certainly not easy, but it’s neither impossible too. Firstly, it is important to identify the gaps and loopholes in our administration, examine the causes behind them, and try to fill them by imposing strict checks and measures at every level. If preventive measures are not taken on time, then the machinery of our nation-state will one day come crashing down completely.

Corruption not only deeply impacts the potential of a nation but also augments the poverty level and worsens the labor resource quality. For our country to achieve its dream of a corruption-free India, it will have to form its policies on a firm moral ground where there should be a zero tolerance level for corrupt activities and an absolute ‘No’ to giving or taking bribes. Even though right from the time when we bribe the school officials to send our kids to school marks the beginning of our corrupt activities, slowly and gradually, it gains massive proportions. Ask yourself how many times you have bribed any public official to make your way through, and you’ll realize to what extent the situation has become so menacing for a layman to live comfortably in our society.

Under such a compelling situation, I seriously exhort everybody presents here not to sit back and relax as every person’s contribution counts towards building a corruption-free India and laying the foundation for a better tomorrow for the next generation. I feel India has a strong potential for getting rid of corruption if everyone works in unison, pledges not to take or give bribe and also undertake some serious measures to uproot corruption from our society.

Luckily, we live in the 21 st century, where we have the requisite knowledge and proven means to deal with the present scenario. Besides, we are constantly supported by both technology and media to spread awareness and messages amongst millions of the population within no time. So unleash its power and work towards it because if you aren’t affected today, you’ll be affected in the days to come.

Speech on Corruption Free India 4

Good evening and I welcome all the society members to our weekly gathering!

As we are seeing so much untoward news making rounds these days, I, as a secretary of our society, considered it appropriate to host a small program so that I could deliver a speech on Corruption Free India, which I am sure a vision of almost each and every conscientious citizen of India.

India is undoubtedly one of the most attractive places on this earth, whose natural and cultural wealth is a great centre of attraction for many. However, the greatness and goodwill of our nation are spoilt by the corrupt activities which go on unabashedly. Almost in every working division, we come across corrupt activities holding sway over people’s lives as it allows them to make a fortune in no time, making them insensitive towards the sad plight of other people.

Money has ruled over men, and it has now come to a level where if a common man needs help from the ruling party, he/she will have to resort to corrupt means to get his/her work done.

Even though a lot has been said about morals, values, and principles, behind closed doors, it is only money that dictates everything. If anyone desires to get some work done, then one should learn to take the back door and please the public officials by warming their pockets. There is no dearth of such politicians and bureaucrats who easily get influenced by money and spoil the whole working of their division. Therefore, work efficiency gets so hampered in such places that it destabilizes the country’s economy, and our GDP suffers a steep fall.

Corruption begins from the top most level and gets carried down to the bottom. From the senior official to the junior-level working executives and even to the clerks, there develops a complete chain of corrupt people, and it becomes difficult for a common man to bypass it and voice his/her concern for immediate action. To our dismay, the situation has aggravated to an extent where there are no severe laws to keep a check on morally perverted people. The common man is constantly being exploited by such people in power as he doesn’t have enough means to fight against corruption, so his existence becomes quite miserable.

I still feel that all this can be curbed and brought to an end if and only if every Indian citizen does not choose to run away from his/her conscience and vows to build a corruption-free India on sound moral principles and ethical values for which India has been known since ages.

Nothing is impossible if we believe in ourselves and work with all our strength towards realizing that goal – oul objectives or making India a peaceful haven to live in and rejoice.

Now, please allow me to end my speech here, and I would request others to join me on stage and say a few words in this context.

FAQs on Speech on Corruption Free India

How to make india corruption free speech.

To make India corruption-free, we must promote transparency, ethical leadership, and enforce strict anti-corruption laws.

How do you write a corruption speech?

Writing a corruption speech involves addressing its causes, effects, and solutions, emphasizing the importance of collective action.

How to stop corruption in India essay?

An essay on stopping corruption in India should outline measures like strengthening institutions, enhancing public awareness, and fostering a culture of integrity.

What is corruption in 5 lines?

Corruption is dishonest or fraudulent behavior involving abuse of power for personal gain, leading to a loss of trust and resources.

What are 6 examples of corruption?

Examples of corruption include bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, cronyism, extortion, and money laundering.

What are 5 ways to stop corruption?

Ways to stop corruption include implementing transparent systems, empowering whistleblowers, educating citizens, enforcing strict penalties, promoting ethical leadership, and utilizing technology for accountability.

How can we reduce corruption in our country?

Reducing corruption in our country requires a concerted effort through education, strong institutions, public vigilance, and a commitment to ethical values.

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• by Alex Russell
• July 30, 2024

The right to free speech is part of our American identity, but what if some forms of speech use this idea of freedom against us? Increasingly, certain forms of speech — hate speech and disinformation in particular — threaten our society and the many freedoms we might take for granted.

In a new paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Jurisprudence , UC Davis philosopher and legal scholar Mark Reiff gives new insight into the source of the right to free speech and the limits that this right contains. The paper explains how these limits show us that hate speech and disinformation are not protected by the right, but rather must be limited to ensure all of our fundamental freedoms. 

“We have to wake up to the conditions we are now in,” said Reiff, a research professor of philosophy in the College of Letters and Science. “Hate speech and disinformation are a real problem. People who claim you can say whatever you want in a liberal democracy are misunderstanding what freedom of speech is intended to guarantee in a free society.”

Untangling free speech and disinformation

Lies can have dangerous consequences. In 2016, a man with an assault rifle entered a Washington, D.C. pizzeria to search the building for the children an internet conspiracy theory convinced him were being held there. On a much bigger scale, campaigns of hate speech and disinformation provoked widespread violence and even genocide in Nazi Germany, Rwanda, and the former Yugoslavia. 

How could we live in a society where you can’t make a false claim about a dessert topping or floor polish, but you can falsely claim that the presidential election was stolen? There’s a difference between saying something that is reasonably mistaken but harmless and saying something that is wildly implausible and dangerous, like claiming that Hillary Clinton is running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria. — Reiff

Reiff argues that the idea of protecting all forms of speech in a free society regardless of their content is actually illiberal. Hate speech and disinformation can be used to sow division and hatred and thereby undermine democracy. This has been the approach of Russia’s Internet Service Agency, which has been found to be actively spreading disinformation and division in the U.S. and other countries.

The claim is that this is done in the name of freedom, but when liberal democracies fall apart, their many freedoms are typically replaced by an authoritarian social structure that is radically different and much less free.

“There is a much wider range of permissible behavior in a liberal society than there is in an authoritarian society,” said Reiff. “Authoritarians think that to be free, people must behave in a very specific, uniform, and inflexible way. Only then can they realize their true potential, and if they cannot recognize this themselves, then it is the job of the government to force them to be free.”

Liberal society and the principles that make free speech possible

Some fundamental principles of liberalism.

• A commitment to toleration, neutrality, equality and freedom
• A commitment to the separation of religious and political authority
• The belief that all members of a political community should have an opportunity to participate in political decision-making under conditions of full information
• The view that the purpose of public discourse and debate is to persuade others of the rightness of one’s position by resorting to arguments that one’s opponents could not reasonably reject
• The view that the rule of law applies even to the rich and powerful
• That belief that empirical evidence rather than emotion and pre-moral ideology should have primacy in forming our reasons for action and belief
• The idea that punishment should be informed by the principle of proportionality
• The belief that the individual, not the community, is the fundamental social unit of moral responsibility and moral concern

When Reiff talks about liberal society or liberalism, it’s not in the sense of beliefs that are politically “liberal,” “progressive,” or even “leftist.” In a liberal society, people can have wildly different opinions, but they still embrace the same fundamental values. They just disagree about how best to apply those values to real-world situations.

“In a liberal society, people can disagree about what their fundamental principles require,” said Reiff. “They might want different public policies on abortion, immigration or government spending, but it’s important that the source of the disagreement is about how we should interpret the relevant fundamental principles, and not about what those fundamental principles are.”

In his paper, Reiff provides an extensive list of fundamental principles that define liberal societies. The full list is extensive and detailed. It includes tolerance, neutrality, equality and freedom. It includes the idea that everyone is entitled to meaningfully participate in political decision-making with full information. It includes the view that politics and religion should remain separate, and a commitment to applying the rule of law to everyone equally. 

“But liberalism doesn’t say you have to tolerate all plans of life,” said Reiff. “For example, a serial killer might say, ‘I was born this way, that’s just my plan of life, don’t oppress me by preventing me from pursuing it.’ But most people would say such a plan of life is not reasonable, so it does not have to be tolerated. The reasonableness of the plan of life always matters under liberalism.”

Free speech, hate speech and the test of what’s reasonable

Reiff argues that freedom of speech is not an independent, free-standing right, which we then try to tie to the fundamental principles of liberalism as an afterthought. Instead, we begin with these fundamental principles and then see what kind of right to free speech these fundamental principles would produce. 

“You cannot work the other way round,” said Reiff. “You have to start with the fundamental principles that everyone generally accepts in a liberal society, and then ask what would a right to free speech that is consistent with these principles look like? Otherwise, you will end up with an ad hoc right that is simply the product of someone’s pre-moral personal preferences, not one which is consistent with our general moral values.”

All these general principles are infused with the idea of reasonableness under liberalism. And while this idea may seem a little vague, it’s not. There are countless examples of what is reasonable in real-world situations in the law. These examples provide detailed guidelines that we can use to determine when speech moves from being reasonably and therefore tolerably mistaken, to being dangerously misleading and intolerably hateful. 

The legal system’s own rules show us how to do this. They strictly control what type of evidence can be used to inform a judge or jury’s decision. Rather than assuming truth will somehow emerge on its own from some sort of unregulated free-for-all, legal proceedings use a very careful and regulated approach. 

“In every other area of behavior in a liberal society reasonableness is the criteria of regulation, and we have centuries of jurisprudence explaining what’s reasonable and what’s not,” said Reiff. “We do this all the time in other areas. It’s crazy not to do this in the free speech area considering that hate speech and disinformation can do so much damage.”  

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Speech On Corruption [1,2,3 Minutes]

Speech On Corruption & Its Eradication- Corruption is an evil that slows down the economic development of a country & contributes to the exploitation of poor people. Every year, December 9 is observed as an International anti-corruption day to raise awareness among people.

Everyone agrees that corruption is wrong. To be honest, youth can fight against corruption and can say no to corruption. Eradication of corruption needs strong steps to be taken. Surely, with constant political and governmental efforts, we can get rid of Corruption.

1 minute Speech On Corruption

Most Reputable teachers and principle and loved friends. first of all, I want to wish you all the best wishes for the day. Also, I am very grateful for the chance to deliver a speech on corruption.

So, What is corruption? Corruption is a form of criminal activity that involves the illegal use of authority and power for personal gain. It is an evil that is preventing any nation to progress. Apart from that, it has become a tool to exploit poor people.

Everyone agrees that corruption is wrong. It has become a method of earning money by using one’s authority illegally. To eradicate corruption from society, we need to take strong steps. Surely, with constant political and governmental efforts, we can get rid of Corruption.

This is what I wanted to say. Thank you!

2 Minute Speech on Corruption

Hello, all the people present here. Before starting my speech on this evil “corruption”, I would like to wish you all the best wishes and also want to pay thanks for having me this valuable opportunity.

Today, No nation is exempt from the disease of Corruption. From Hospitals to enterprises to governments, no place and nobody is free from Corruption. Corruption originates from the greater levels and goes down to the lower levels.

Sadly, in India, corruption has become a part of life. We have to live with it. In every sphere in India, you will come across this unlawful activity. From medical assistance to school admission, from getting a driving licence to receiving benefits of any government scheme, it is omnipresent.

Corruption is influencing our lives directly. The poor are more likely to be hit by corruption because they have no money for bribery leading to inequality in society. On the one hand, where the daily needs of poor people are not being met, on the other hand, rich people are living harmoniously.

To be honest, there is a strong need to eradicate corruption from society & say no to corruption. With continuous effort, we can get rid of this evil.

There is a lot to say but time is a limited resource & we should respect time. Thank you again. I hope you liked my speech.

3 Minute Speech on Corruption

Corruption is a form of criminal activity done by an individual or an organisation. This activity compels others to compromise with their rights. It is a roadblock in the overall development of any country. Everyone agrees that corruption is wrong and offensive.

Before heading ahead to my speech on corruption, I would like to wish you all the best wishes and also want to pay thanks for having me this valuable opportunity.

In small or in big forms, Corruption is prevalent in almost every sector. Corruption is affecting our lives directly. This practice harms the economically weaker sections of society more. This is because they don’t have money for bribery and so they lag in every area.

“ All the power belongs to the amount of money “. This notion leads individuals and organisations to create a pile of money. They go on the illegal track to earn money and evilly use their authority. They don’t even care about which path they are following.

In India, we have to live with it. Almost in every field, you can see this illegal activity. From hospital to school admission, from getting a driving licence to getting benefits of any government scheme, from politics to private organisation. No place and no one is untouched by corruption.

In a country like India, the largest fraction of the population is youth. So, it is obvious youth have to face corruption way more than any other age category. Plus, this is surely only youth can firmly fight against corruption & can fetch positive results.

Now, this is the youth’s responsibility to fight against corruption. To be honest, there is a strong need to eradicate corruption from society & say no to corruption. With continuous effort, we can get rid of this evil. If it happens, drastic changes will occur and corruption will go extinct.

I stop my Speech here. Thank you again. I hope you liked my words.

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Speech on Corruption Free India

Speech generator.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Esteemed Guests, and Fellow Citizens,

Today, I stand before you not just as a speaker, but as a fellow citizen, deeply invested in the future of our great nation, India. We gather here with a shared vision – a vision of a corruption-free India. A nation where integrity and honesty shape the pillars of our society.

The Current Challenge: Acknowledging the Problem

Corruption, as we know, is a formidable obstacle in the path of any nation’s progress. It undermines our democracy, hampers economic development, and erodes the trust between the government and its people. It’s a challenge that we, as a nation, have been grappling with for too long.

Historical Context: Lessons from the Past

India’s struggle with corruption is not new. It has roots in our history, and over the years, it has entangled itself in the very fabric of our daily lives. However, history also teaches us that change is possible when people unite for a cause. The freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi is a testament to this fact.

The Role of Education: Building Awareness

Education plays a crucial role in building a corruption-free society. It is through education that we can instill values of honesty and integrity in our young minds. Schools and colleges must emphasize the importance of ethical behavior and the perils of corruption.

The Power of Technology: Enhancing Transparency

In this digital age, technology can be a powerful ally in the fight against corruption. E-governance initiatives, digitalization of services, and the use of blockchain and AI can enhance transparency and reduce opportunities for corrupt practices.

Individual Responsibility: Every Action Counts

Each one of us has a role to play. Corruption starts when we turn a blind eye or choose convenience over integrity. Whether it’s refusing to pay a bribe or reporting unethical behavior, our individual actions count.

Collective Action: The Strength of Unity

No single individual or organization can fight corruption alone. It requires a collective effort. We must support and empower agencies and organizations that work towards transparency and accountability.

The Road Ahead: A Call to Action

As we move forward, let’s pledge to uphold the values of honesty and integrity. Let’s work together to create an environment where merit is respected, and fairness is the norm. Let’s envision an India where future generations thrive in a society free of corruption.

Conclusion: A Dream of New India

In conclusion, a corruption-free India is not just a dream; it’s a necessity for our nation’s progress. It’s a journey that we must embark on together, and the time to start is now. Let’s join hands and commit to this noble cause for the betterment of our country and our people.

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Corruption Free India Speech for Students and Children in English

February 27, 2023 by Prasanna

Corruption Free India Speech: Corruption continues to be a significant problem in the world’s largest democracy and a substantial risk for the businesses operating there.

India slipped further down the rankings of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2019, an annual assessment by Transparency International that ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide on perceived public sector corruption.

Long and Short Speech on Corruption Free India for Students and Kids in English

Below mentioned are short and long “Corruption Free India” speeches of 100-150 words and 500 words, respectively. The students can refer to this Corruption Free India essay when required and grace the occasion with their words.

Long Speech on Corruption Free India 500 Words in English

Corruption refers to a form of crime or dishonesty. It refers to an individual or a group doing evil. This act, most importantly, violates certain people’s rights and privileges. Corruption involves mainly actions such as bribes or maltreatment. Corruption can occur in other ways, in any case. Corruption is a representation of dishonest and selfish actions.

All despise the term corruption. We are all dreaming of a corruption-free world. Since time immemorial in one form or another, corruption in India has prevailed. The link between bureaucrats, politicians, and criminals is responsible for corruption in India. Bribes were given in the previous days because things were wrong, but bribes are compensated now for the right things in society. Social corruption like the mix-weighing of goods, adulteration of foodstuffs, and different kinds of bribery have predominated in society continuously.

In the current situation, if a person wants a public sector job, he has to pay the higher officials substantial amounts of money regardless of meeting all qualifying criteria. A candidate must either give money to the concerned employee or arrange for specific sources to get his job done in almost all offices. In the civil supplies department, there is the adulteration of food and fake measurement of products by unempathetic employees who cheat the customers by playing with the health and welfare of their fellow citizens. The officers always exploit people in the property tax evaluation and charge money, even if the house is adequately constructed according to government rules and regulations.

Political corruption in our country is worst amongst all. The most significant reason for concern is that corruption dehumanizes the governing body and degrades the fundamental value of the law that regulates society. Today politics are only aimed at criminals and outlaws, who end up being in politics. Elections have become tied to a host of criminal and draconian activities in many parts of the country. Calling electors to cast votes on a particular candidate, or physically blocking voters from accessing the polling stations frequently occurs in different parts of the world, particularly in weaker sections of society, such as the Tribal, Dalits, the depressed and rural women.

Corruption remains a major problem in the largest democracy in the world and represents a significant risk to industries. India slipped further down the rankings of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2019, an annual assessment by Transparency International that ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide on perceived public sector corruption.

Indeed, corruption-free India is a possibility if we want to clean up the system by starting at our level. Concrete and robust actions are required in order to curb the threat, and an environment needs to be built where the decent, democratic ideas are put forward to represent the nation sincerely and genuinely for the sake of the country’s people.

Let’s do our best to keep India free of corruption, and one day we will certainly see a “Corruption Free India”, which we all dream of.

Short Speech on Corruption Free India 150 Words in English

Corruption refers to a form of crime or dishonesty. It refers to an individual or a group doing evil. This act, most importantly, violates certain people’s rights and privileges. Corruption Free India involves mainly actions such as bribes or maltreatment. Since time immemorial in one form or another, corruption in India has prevailed. The link between bureaucrats, politicians, and criminals is responsible for corruption in India. Bribes were given in the previous days because things were wrong, but bribes are compensated now for the right things in society. Social corruption like the mix-weighing of goods, adulteration of foodstuffs, and different kinds of bribery have predominated in society continuously.

In the current situation, if a person wants a public sector job, he has to pay the higher officials substantial amounts of money regardless of meeting all qualifying criteria. The most significant reason for concern is that corruption dehumanizes the governing body and degrades the fundamental value of the law that regulates society. Today politics are only aimed at criminals and outlaws, who end up being in politics.

Elections have become tied to a host of criminal and draconian activities in many parts of the country. Calling electors to cast votes on a particular candidate, or physically blocking voters from accessing the polling stations frequently occurs in different parts of the world, particularly in weaker sections of society, such as the Tribal, Dalits, the depressed and rural women. Corruption remains a major problem in the largest democracy in the world and represents a significant risk to industries.

10 Lines on Corruption Free India Speech in English

• While the path to India free from corruption is difficult, it is not impossible.
• There must be more strict anti-corruption laws.
• The government should lead by not allowing itself to be corrupt.
• The electoral commission must not encourage the nominee to participate in politics with allegations of corruption.
• Information rights are the best means to combat corruption.
• The Office for Anti-Corruption must be more vigilant and more authoritative.
• Without any intermediary, monetary incentives are to enter the recipient’s bank account directly.
• To keep an eye on everyday activities, every government office should be under the surveillance system.
• The accommodation of complaints against corrupt officials should be confidential and convenient.
• The youth of today have a responsibility to refuse to accept and pay a bribe.

FAQ’s on Corruption Free India Speech

Question 1. What is corruption?

Answer: Corruption refers to any illegal activity which benefits the person guilty of the crime.

Question 2. Why is corruption bad?

Answer: Corruption violates certain people’s rights and privileges.

Question 3. How can we stop corruption?

Answer: Hard legislation is very crucial to eliminate corruption. Stringent punishments for convicted parties must be enforced. Also, strict legislation should be implemented effectively and rapidly.

Question 4. How can we as youth help?

Answer: The youth of today have a responsibility to refuse to accept and pay a bribe.

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Fact-Checking Claims About Tim Walz’s Record

Republicans have leveled inaccurate or misleading attacks on Mr. Walz’s response to protests in the summer of 2020, his positions on immigration and his role in the redesign of Minnesota’s flag.

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By Linda Qiu

Since Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was announced as the Democratic nominee for vice president, the Trump campaign and its allies have gone on the attack.

Mr. Walz, a former teacher and football coach from Nebraska who served in the National Guard, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and then as Minnesota’s governor in 2018. His branding of former President Donald J. Trump as “weird” this year caught on among Democrats and helped catapult him into the national spotlight and to the top of Vice President Kamala Harris’s list of potential running mates.

The Republican accusations, which include questions over his military service , seem intended at undercutting a re-energized campaign after President Biden stepped aside and Ms. Harris emerged as his replacement at the top of the ticket. Mr. Trump and his allies have criticized, sometimes inaccurately, Mr. Walz’s handling of protests in his state, his immigration policies, his comments about a ladder factory and the redesign of his state’s flag.

Here’s a fact check of some claims.

What Was Said

“Because if we remember the rioting in the summer of 2020, Tim Walz was the guy who let rioters burn down Minneapolis.” — Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican nominee for vice president, during a rally on Wednesday in Philadelphia

This is exaggerated. Mr. Walz has faced criticism for not quickly activating the National Guard to quell civil unrest in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. But claims that he did not respond at all, or that the city burned down, are hyperbolic.

Mr. Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, and demonstrators took to the streets the next day . The protests intensified, with some vandalizing vehicles and setting fires. More than 700 state troopers and officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ mobile response team were deployed on May 26 to help the city’s police officers, according to a 2022 independent assessment by the state’s Department of Public Safety of the response to the unrest.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-tim-walzs-past-statements

Looking back at Tim Walz’s record and past statements

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, capping a historically compressed vice presidential search.

Walz rocketed up the list of finalists on the strength of his folksy relatability, gubernatorial experience and congressional record representing a conservative-leaning district.

READ MORE: Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate

“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate,” Harris posted on X Aug. 6. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work.”

Walz rose to the rank of command sergeant major over 24 years in the U.S. Army National Guard and worked as a teacher and football coach. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives by ousting a Republican incumbent in a heavily rural district in 2006. Walz was elected governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

“He’s a smart choice if they deploy him in two specific ways,” said Blois Olson, a political analyst for WCCO radio in Minneapolis-St. Paul. “Send him to rural areas to counter the polarization and the idea that only Republicans can win there. And have him keep the deep left base satisfied, which could be an issue with a very moody voting bloc.”

Olson said Walz’s rural experience and regular-guy vibes might be able to shave 2 to 4 percentage points off GOP electoral performance in rural Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — three states considered crucial to a Democratic victory in November.

WATCH LIVE: Harris holds first rally with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after choosing him as running mate

“The most recent Survey USA poll taken last month for KSTP-TV had Walz’ job approval at a healthy 56 percent,” said Steve Schier, a political scientist at Carleton College in Minnesota. “That said, Minnesota is quite a polarized state, and Republicans in the state despise him. He initially campaigned as a moderate in 2018 but has governed as a progressive.”

Walz was one of several potential vice presidential options floated since President Joe Biden announced he’d cede the nomination and endorsed Harris. Other frequently cited names were Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Now that he is Harris’ running mate, we are on the lookout for claims by and about Walz to fact-check — just as we are for Harris and former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. Readers can email us suggestions to [email protected].

READ MORE: Fact-checking JD Vance’s past statements and relationship with Trump

Republicans have already begun to question Walz’s handling of the rioting following the murder of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Walz clashed with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over how to handle the unrest, but he sent the Minnesota National Guard to aid local law enforcement.

Who is Tim Walz?

Walz grew up in Nebraska but moved with his wife, Gwen, to Minnesota in 1996 to teach high school geography and coach football; his teams won two state championships.

He was 42 when he ran for Congress, a decision sparked by a 2004 incident at an appearance by President George W. Bush. “Walz took two students to the event, where Bush campaign staffers demanded to know whether he supported the president and barred the students from entering after discovering one had a sticker for Democratic candidate John Kerry,” according to the Almanac of American Politics. “Walz suggested it might be bad PR for the Bush campaign to bar an Army veteran, and he and the students were allowed in. Walz said the experience sparked his interest in politics, first as a volunteer for the Kerry campaign and then as a congressional candidate.”

Walz’s ideological profile is nuanced. The other highest-profile finalist for Harris’ running mate, Shapiro, was pegged as somewhat more moderate and bipartisan than Walz. An Emerson College poll released in July found Shapiro with 49 percent approval overall in his state, including a strong 46 percent approval from independents and 22 percent from Republicans.

When he was elected to Congress, Walz represented a district that had sent Republicans to Washington for 102 of the previous 114 years, according to the Almanac of American Politics. Representing that constituency, Walz was able to win the National Rifle Association’s endorsement and he voted for the Keystone XL pipeline — two positions that have become highly unusual in today’s Democratic Party.

During his first gubernatorial term, Walz worked with legislative Republicans, which produced some bipartisan achievements, including $275 million for roads and bridges, additional funds for opioid treatment and prevention, and a middle-income tax cut.

In 2022, Walz won a second term by a 52 percent to 45 percent margin. Democrats also flipped the state Senate, providing him with unified Democratic control in the Legislature. This enabled Walz to enact a progressive wish list of policies, including classifying abortion as a “fundamental right,” a requirement that utilities produce carbon-free energy by 2040, paid family leave and legalizing recreational marijuana. He also signed an executive order safeguarding access to gender-affirming health care for transgender residents.

After Harris’ announcement, the Trump campaign attacked Walz’s legislative record in a campaign email: “Kamala Harris just doubled-down on her radical vision for America by tapping another left-wing extremist as her VP nominee.”

Olson noted that Walz “only has one veto in six years. He doesn’t say ‘no’ to the left, after being a moderate. That’s a reason he’s now beloved by the left.”

Democrats have controlled the Minnesota state Legislature’s lower chamber during Walz’ entire tenure. However, Republicans controlled the state Senate for his first four years in office.

Walz’s meteoric three-week rise on the national scene stemmed after calling Trump, Vance and other Republicans in their circle “weird.”

In a July 23 interview on MSNBC, Walz predicted that Harris would win older, white voters because she was talking about substance, including schools, jobs and environmental policy.

“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said. “They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room. That’s what it comes down to. And don’t, you know, get sugarcoating this. These are weird ideas.”

Days later on MSNBC , Walz reiterated the point: “You know there’s something wrong with people when they talk about freedom. Freedom to be in your bedroom. Freedom to be in your exam room. Freedom to tell your kids what they can read. That stuff is weird. They come across weird. They seem obsessed with this.”

Other Democrats, including the Harris campaign, amplified the “weird” message, quickly making Walz a star in online Democratic circles.

Walz also attracted notice for being a self-styled fix-it guy who has helped pull a car out of a ditch and given advice about how to save money on car repairs . He staged a bill signing for free breakfast and lunch for students surrounded by cheering children .

Schier said he expects Walz to be a compatible ticket-mate who won’t upstage the presidential nominee. “Walz will be a loyal companion to Harris,” Schier said.

One thing Walz does not bring to the table is a critical state for the Democratic ticket. In 2024, election analysts universally rate Minnesota as leaning or likely Democratic. By contrast, Shapiro’s state of Pennsylvania is not only one of a handful of battleground states but also the one with the biggest haul of electoral votes, at 19. Another finalist, Kelly, represents another battleground state with nine electoral votes, Arizona.

Fact-checking Walz

We have not put Walz on our Truth-O-Meter. However, days after Floyd’s murder, we wrote a story about how a false claim about out-of-state protestors was spread by Minnesota officials, including Walz, and then national politicians, including Trump.

At a May 2020 news conference, Walz said he understood that the catalyst for the protests was “Minnesotans’ inability to deal with inequalities, inequities and quite honestly the racism that has persisted.” But there was an issue with “everybody from everywhere else.”

“We’re going to start releasing who some of these people are, and they’ll be able to start tracing that history of where they’re at, and what they’re doing on the ‘dark web’ and how they’re organizing,” Walz said. “I think our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20 percent that are Minnesotans and about 80 percent are outside.”

The statistic soon fell apart.

Within hours, local TV station KARE reported that Minneapolis-based police tallies of those arrested for rioting, unlawful assembly, and burglary-related crimes from May 29 to May 30 showed that 86 percent of those arrested listed Minnesota as their address. Twelve out of 18 people arrested in St. Paul were from Minnesota.

Confronted with these numbers, the officials walked back their comments that evening or did not repeat them. In a news conference, Walz did not repeat his earlier 80 percent assertion. KARE-TV wrote that Walz said the estimate was based in part on law enforcement intelligence information and that the state would monitor developments.

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Speech on Corruption, Its Causes and Solutions

Fresh Reads

After Independence India has seen a steep upward trend in the graph of corruption. The public has often become disgusted and disappointed. As Venkat, a well known journalist, write a speech in 150-200 words on ‘Corruption, its causes and solutions’ .

Good morning, dear friends! I am Venkat, as a journalist by profession and a responsible citizen of India, I wish to express my views on ‘corruption, its causes and solution’.

Corruption can be understood as misappropriation of government or public property or money. It is an unlawful and immoral act. After Independence India has seen a steep upward trend in the graph of corruption. The public has often become disgusted and disappointed for a certain period of time. But, they soon become immune to their problems and issues emerging due to corruption and eventually forget about it. Why did corruption raise its ugly head in India? Its colonial past contributed in flourishing corrupt practices. It is not difficult to visualise the relation between scarcity and corruption. Add to it, the vested interests and greed of the people in power.

Whatever the reason may be, corruption is a major obstacle in the process of economic growth and modernisation of the nation. Thus, country needs an anti-corruption bill like Jan Lokpal. In a democracy like India, the power is vested not only in the executive, but also the people. Hence, constant vigil and intervention by the civil society is also required. Punishment must be enhanced, compensation increased and illegally amassed wealth must be recovered. As aware citizens, we must overcome this fear and work towards a corruption free society.

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Americans’ views of offensive speech aren’t necessarily clear-cut

About six-in-ten U.S. adults (62%) say that “people being too easily offended by things others say” is a major problem in the country today.

In a separate question, 47% say that “people saying things that are very offensive to others” is a major problem, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in April.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand Americans’ views on whether offensive speech – and people being too easily offended by what others say – are major problems for the country. For this analysis, we surveyed 8,709 U.S. adults from April 8 to 14, 2024.

Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology . Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

There are substantial differences in these views between Republicans and Democrats.

• Eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say people being too easily offended by what others say is a major problem. By comparison, 45% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say the same.
• In contrast, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say that people saying things that are very offensive is a major problem in the country today. A 59% majority of Democrats say this, compared with 34% of Republicans.

Looking at Americans’ views on these two questions together, about a third (32%) say that people being too easily offended by things others say and people saying very offensive things to others are both major problems.

About as many Americans (30%) say people taking offense too easily is a major problem, but very offensive speech is not. A much smaller share (15%) say that people saying very offensive things is a major problem, but people too easily taking offense isn’t. And another 23% say that neither is a major problem in the country.

Sizable shares within both parties say both issues are major problems – 30% of Republicans and 32% of Democrats say this.

However, half of Republicans, compared with just 12% of Democrats, say people being too easily offended is a major problem, but people saying very offensive things isn’t. Slightly more than half of conservative Republicans (53%) hold this combination of views, along with 44% of moderate and liberal Republicans.

By contrast, about a quarter of Democrats (26%) – and a third of liberal Democrats – say people saying very offensive things is a major problem, but people being too easily offended is not. Just 4% of Republicans hold this combination of views.

Another 29% of Democrats, but just 15% of Republicans, say neither of these is a major problem.

There are also significant demographic differences in attitudes about offensive speech.

Race and ethnicity

While at least half of Americans across racial and ethnic groups say being too easily offended is a major problem in the country, White adults are particularly likely to say this. Nearly two-thirds of White adults (65%) say this is a major problem, as do 59% of Hispanic, 59% of Asian and 50% of Black adults.

No more than about one-in-ten in any of these groups say people getting offended too easily is not a problem in the country today.

Conversely, Black (63%), Asian (58%) and Hispanic (55%) adults are more likely than White adults (42%) to say that people saying very offensive things to others is a major problem.

Men (62%) and women (63%) are about equally likely to say people being too easily offended is a major problem.

But women (54%) are far more likely than men (40%) to say offensive speech is a major problem.

Within political parties, there are some differences by gender, race and ethnicity on these questions.

On whether people being too easily offended is a major problem:

• Hispanic Republicans (71%) are less likely than White Republicans (83%) to say this is a major problem. (The sample size for Black and Asian Republicans is too small to evaluate these groups individually.)
• There are no gaps between men and women in either party.

On whether offensive speech is a major problem:

• Democratic and Republican women are more likely than men in their parties to say offensive speech is a major problem. Among Democrats, 63% of women and 54% of men say this. And in the GOP, 43% of women and 27% of men say the same.
• While roughly two-thirds of Black (67%), Hispanic (65%) and Asian Democrats (64%) say this is a major issue, a narrower majority of White Democrats (54%) share that view.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published Dec. 14, 2021. Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

• Discrimination & Prejudice
• Free Speech & Press
• Political Ideals & Systems

J. Baxter Oliphant is a senior researcher focusing on politics at Pew Research Center .

Many adults in East and Southeast Asia support free speech, are open to societal change

Americans’ views of technology companies, most americans say a free press is highly important to society, ­most americans favor restrictions on false information, violent content online, freedom of speech and lgbt rights: americans’ views of issues in supreme court case, most popular.

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