Which of the following is an example of government corruption in public administration?

Introduction / Context:
Government corruption refers to the misuse of public office for private gain. It weakens trust in public institutions, wastes public resources, and undermines development and justice. Recognising what actions count as corruption helps citizens understand which behaviours are harmful and illegal. This question asks you to identify which listed actions are examples of government corruption in the context of public administration.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on actions taken by government officials or public authorities.
• Options include embezzlement of tax revenue, cronyism in awarding contracts, and accepting bribes.
• We assume a standard definition of corruption as misuse of public power for private benefit.

Concept / Approach:
Embezzlement of tax revenue means diverting public money for private use, which directly fits the definition of corruption. Awarding contracts only to friends and associates, known as cronyism, involves favouritism and often leads to misuse of public funds and unfair competition. Accepting bribes is one of the most obvious forms of corruption, where officials exchange public decisions for private payments. All three actions involve abusing public office for personal or group gain, so they all count as government corruption. Therefore, the most accurate option is the one that includes all of these actions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine option a, embezzlement of tax revenue. This clearly involves a public official misusing public funds, which is corruption.Step 2: Examine option b, awarding public contracts only to friends and associates. This is cronyism, a form of favouritism that misuses official power and often leads to financial and ethical wrongdoing.Step 3: Examine option c, accepting bribes in exchange for official favours. This is a textbook example of corruption.Step 4: Recognise that all three of these behaviours involve misuse of public office for private or partisan benefit.Step 5: Conclude that all of the above is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, compare these behaviours with standard definitions given by international organisations and anti corruption agencies. They usually list bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and cronyism as classic forms of corruption. Embezzling revenue, favouring friends in public contracts, and taking bribes are all prominently mentioned as corrupt practices. Strict enforcement of anti corruption laws, by contrast, works against corruption rather than constituting it, confirming that the first three actions fit the concept while the last does not.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Choosing only one of the three corrupt actions would ignore the fact that the others are also clearly corrupt. Embezzlement alone is not the only example, nor is cronyism or bribery alone. Strict enforcement of anti corruption laws is actually an example of good governance and the opposite of corruption. Therefore, any option that does not include all three corrupt actions is incomplete or incorrect for this question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may focus only on obvious bribery and overlook more subtle forms such as cronyism or embezzlement. Others may think that awarding contracts to friends is simply unfair but not necessarily corruption, forgetting that it misuses public power. A clear understanding that corruption covers a wide range of behaviours from direct theft to hidden favouritism helps you correctly identify all relevant examples in such questions.

Final Answer:
All of the above