Editing Political corruption (section)

===Nepotism and cronyism===
{{Main|Nepotism|Cronyism}}

Favoring relatives (nepotism) or personal friends (cronyism) of an official is a form of illegitimate private gain. This may be combined with [[bribery]], for example demanding that a business should employ a [[kinship|relative]] of an official controlling regulations affecting the business. The most extreme example is when the entire state is inherited, as in [[North Korea]] or [[Syria]]. A lesser form might be in the Southern United States with Good ol' boys, where women and minorities are excluded. A milder form of cronyism is an "[[old boy network]]", in which appointees to official positions are selected only from a closed and exclusive social network – such as the alumni of particular universities – instead of appointing the most competent candidate. Seeking to harm enemies becomes corruption when official powers are illegitimately used as means to this end. For example, trumped-up charges are often brought up against journalists or writers who bring up politically sensitive issues, such as a politician's acceptance of bribes.