Problem:
With great power come great temptations to abuse it for one's own benefit. History is littered with the debris of leaders who turned out to have feet of clay. But does it have to be that way? Men and women of virtue have held high office without succumbing to such temptations—or have they? In this Debate, you will consider the effects of power upon a leader.
To complete this Debate:
Post: Lord Acton, English historian, politician, and writer, (1834-1902) warned that 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Using the three different perspectives on leadership from the lecture (trait theories, behavioural theories and contingency theories) discuss Lord Acton's statement. Assess both propositions—first, that power corrupts and, second, that absolute power corrupts absolutely—from each of the three perspectives and identify how corruption or abuse of power would be explained by these theories.
In constructing your answer, give examples of various forms of interrelations between power and corruption as well as of successful cases of its disclosure you have met with.
Between 1000 - 1500 words without internet copy/paste please. If possible with some referencing and images / graphs will be a plus.