A new study by the nonprofit, Integrity Florida, ranks the Sunshine State as the nation’s most corrupt state. Since 1976, 1,762 of Florida’s public officials have been convicted of public corruption, with an average of 71 convictions per year over the period from 2000 to 2010. The study gives Florida a C minus grade on ethics enforcement, citing Forbes’ “Most Miserable Cities” that placed three of the state’s cities on the list due to corruption.

Questions:

1. What states followed Florida as being most corrupt? Suggest why you think the report found this order of states. Could their methodology be flawed? Discuss.
2. Read the nonprofit’s report. What major recommendations does the report state which would advance government ethics in Florida and the public’s overall confidence in state and local government if adopted by the Florida Legislature?
3. How do these differ from the recommendations they suggest that the Florida Legislature could adopt to improve the current state of the ethics laws without making major changes to the system?
4. Which measures do you think are the most important and why?

Staff. (2012). Florida Is The Most Corrupt State In The Country, According To Integrity Florida Study, Huffington Post, June 7 (Retrievable online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/florida-most-corrupt-in-country_n_1577571.html?ref=miami)