South Michigan News

In his book "Masters of Corruption," Mark Moyar writes that political leaders must "believe in their hearts that the good of government and society takes precedence over their own interests" in order to prevent corruption within the government. 

Mark Moyar's "Masters of Corruption," released in 2024, chronicles a bureaucratic assassination during the Trump Administration. The book also reveals details on corruption within federal government agencies—the weaponization of bureaucratic procedures—and explores the government’s failure to protect employees from retaliation.

Following is an excerpt from "Masters of Corruption":

For leaders to enforce the laws and rules against corruption, they must believe in their hearts that the good of government and society takes precedence over their own interests. A few people may derive this belief from the U.S. Constitution or a secular ideology, but such “minds of peculiar structure,” as George Washington once termed them, appear to be as scarce today as they were 250 years ago. Religion and nationalism have been the most effective of the forces that instill such civic-mindedness, and they have been most potent when woven into a society’s cultural fabric, for abstract principles carry little force when no one appears to believe in or live by them. Neither religion nor nationalism has made humans perfect, and neither has been immune from abuse, but both have made humans better.

"Masters of Corruption" can be found on Encounter Books' website.

Moyar currently serves as chair of the William P. Harris Chair in Military History at Hillsdale College. He has authored six previous books on military history, diplomatic history, grand strategy, leadership, and international development. He has also written articles for the New York Times, Washington Post, and other publications. During the Trump era, Moyar served as director of USAID's Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation.