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Corrupt Politician (view source)

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== Anime ==
* A large proportion of the higher level villains in ''[[Ghost in Thethe Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'', particularly the second season (the villains of the first were mainly [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Corrupt Corporate Executives]], with political connections). These included the [[Big Bad]] and a couple of one shot antagonists.
 
== Comics ==
* Every single politician [[Batman]] meets in Gotham with the exception of [[Face Heel Turn|District Attorney Harvey Dent]] and [[The Sheriff|Police Commissioner Gordon]].
* In the [[Crapsack World]] of Ba[[Sin City|sin City]], being honest is contraindicated. Any politician who commits an act of honesty is committing an act of suicide.
* ''[[Superman]]'''s Lex Luthor dishonest? Nonsense! He won a fair election that [[Blatant Lies|wasn't rigged in any way.]]
* ''[[Wanted]]'': In a world run by super villains, ''some'' of the politicians have to be on the take.
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{{quote| '''Chief:''' Jackie Treehorn draws a lot of water in this town. You don't draw shit, Lebowski. }}
* ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'': See the TV entry.
* ''[[Shoot 'Em Up (Filmfilm)|Shoot Em Up]]'' gives us a senator who sells out to the gun industry after said industry kills his shot at a miracle medical cure. Literally.
* ''[[Sin City]]'': See the comic entry.
* In the ''[[Star Wars]]'' prequel trilogy, Senator Palpatine got elected, maybe even honestly. He's still [[The Chessmaster|a Machiavellian, scheming bastard]] with no ethical values besides prolonging his own stay in power and strengthening his grip on the Republic.
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== Literature ==
* ''[[The HitchhikersHitchhiker's Guide to Thethe Galaxy]]'' plays this trope for laughs. The president of the galaxy is ''expected'' to be corrupt and is occasionally imprisoned upon election.
* Willard Phule, of ''[[Phules Company]]'', aka [[The Good Captain|Captain Jester]], encounters Governor Wingas on his maiden tour after his promotion. The governor eagerly awaits a "campaign contribution" from the newly arrived ''very'' wealthy man.
* Senator John Caddrick shows up late in the ''[[Time Scout (Literature)|Time Scout]]'' series, is deep in bed with [[The Syndicate]] and personally ordered multiple murders. His reputation is ''fearsome'' and well-deserved.
* ''[[Ender's Game]]'' ends with a war for control of Earth as the Chinese, Russians, and the US try to take control of the space fleet. [[Orson Scott Card]]'s opinion, demonstrated in the parallel series that succeeds it, of the elected Chinese and Russian governments is very poor.
* The governments of the ''[[Alliance Union (Literature)|Alliance Union]]'' universe are complex, to say the least, with government, economics and the web of alliances all messily tied together, thanks to the vast distances involved in space travel and an FTL drive that isn't magical, and the fact that every space station and space ''ship'' is a separate nation. The Viking station is essentially a third world country, with the difficulties that implies, and the Esperance station is a border nation grown fat off of multiple, multiple smuggling operations. The government of Esperance is explicitly corrupt.
* In ''[[Stranger in A Strange Land]]'', Jubal Harshaw is glad to learn that Secretary Douglas, head of the Federated Nations, is the sort of politician who, once bought, stays bought.
** [[Robert A. Heinlein]] had a dim view of politicians in general and considered an idealist untrustworthy because he'll break any promise if convinced it's for The Greater Good. A dirty politician is trustworthy because he knows he has a reputation to maintain.
* Politicians don't often show up in the ''[[Aubrey -Maturin]]'' 'verse. Perhaps the most notable exception is Aubrey's father, General Aubrey, MP. Aubrey, in all innocence, tells his father about a stock tip he got<ref>For saving a man's life. Aubrey asked his father to keep it a secret, just as the stranger did.</ref>. The good General then tells ''everyone'' he knows. End result: Aubrey is convicted of the early nineteenth century version of insider trading, spends a day in the stocks, and loses his commission. [[Sarcasm Mode|Nice job, dad]].
* ''[[Discworld (Literature)|Discworld]]'':
** Subverted in ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Small Gods|Small Gods]]'': The ruler of Ephebe is one of the only elected rulers on the Disc and they call him "Tyrant". Generally, he's honest, if somewhat cynical.
** In ''[[Discworld (Literature)/The Last Continent|The Last Continent]]'', we learn that the remote and little-known land of XXXX also has an elected ruler -- and a tradition of throwing each new ruler into jail as soon as he's elected, on the assumption that it will save time later.
* Is there a single honest politician in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''? No. In order to be a politician, you have to want power over others, and that makes you a LEECH.
* There's a parliamentary faction in the ''[[Prince Roger]]'' 'verse dedicated to overthrowing the Empire of Man which includes Roger's father. YMMV; our freedom fighters are your terrorists, but the series implies that the royal family are dedicated public servants and the faction are in it for personal gain.
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== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'' gives us a number of evil, never mind [[Corrupt Politician|corrupt, politicians]], thanks in no small part to the [[Ancient Conspiracy|law firm of Wolfram and Heart]]. Two senators show up on screen, and far more are implied.
* How corrupt is Mayor Wilkinson, of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'''s Sunnydale? He sold his ''soul''. The only reason Sunnydale exists is because he set it up as a demon/vampire smorgasbord. How does he keep getting elected, decade after decade? See above re: soul.
* ''[[Castle]]'' gives us a district attorney willing to pervert the justice system to retain the backing of a very wealthy family. A mild example, but he nearly convicted an innocent man of murder to help secure his election.
** There's also Mayor Bob, friend to Castle who features prominently in the episode 'Dial M for Mayor.' There's ample evidence to suggest that he's embezzling funds and was involved in a murder but he attests that he's being set up. Subverted in that he's right and the conspiracy that shot down his run for governor are the same guys {{spoiler|involved in Beckett's mother's murder.}}
* The ''[[Dollhouse]]'' has a number of powerful connections. Yet another senator cashes in the favor. Hell, {{spoiler|they got a doll elected as a senator so they could rig an investigation into them and set it up to fail.}}
* Near the end of ''[[Law and& Order (TV)|Law and Order]]'''s run, we meet Governor Shavloy, who consorts with prostitutes and more.
* ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]'' is built on this trope as it shows obscene amounts of corruption in all levels of 1920s government going all the way to the White House.
 
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* ''[[Fallout]]'': Flip a coin. Then shoot it. If you hit it, [[World Half Empty|the elected official is honest.]] To be fair, there aren't very many elected officials. A lot of elders and warlords.
* ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' gives us multiple examples. It's [[Crapsack World|Grand Theft Auto]].
** ''[[Grand Theft Auto Vice City (Video Game)|Grand Theft Auto Vice City]]'': One mission involves you taking pictures of a [[Straw Character|conservative politician]] consorting with a hooker while [[Hypocrite|wearing women's undergarments.]]
* ''[[Assassin's Creed (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed]]'': Why bribe politicians when you can [[Mind Rape]] them? Still, some are Templars, some are Assassins, so this goes both ways.
* ''[[MirrorsMirror's Edge (Video Game)|Mirrors Edge]]'' says that the government has become corrupt, but the ending implies that the world isn't ''that'' bad.
* In ''[[Command and Conquer]]'''s Nod campaign, the faux [[Risk Style Map]] shows, among other information, a percentage of government corruption.
 
== Webcomics ==
* Kai and [[Ill Girl|Min-Min's]] father in [[Knite (Webcomic)|Knite]] is one
** In fact her father taking kickbacks and allowing pollution is the reason why Min-Min is [[Littlest Cancer Patient|ill]]
 
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