How is it possible for corrupt individuals to maintain stability and govern? The crucial aspect of understanding corruption becomes the pivotal foundation for a government to both execute policies and to create a concrete path for the preservation of their state. Machiavelli insists, "For all political and religious movements, all republics and monarchies must have some good in them at the start"(p.190). That's indeed correct, time and time again have there been examples of individuals coming to power and after a short period of time drastically changing their framework and intentions( Iran 1979, Germany 1939, Iraq 2010, etc). Hannah Arendt would look at it from another perspective; individualism being the main force. Arendt insists, "It is indeed in the nature of laboring to bring men together in the form of a labor gang where any number of individuals labor together as though they were one, and in this sense togetherness may permeate laboring even more intimately than any other activity"(p. 212). Corruption can start with a flawed mindset; yet it comes to a individual or a group force to either support that corruption and maintain stability or show disproval and orchestrate a revolution. Propaganda can prevent a society from flourishing and succeeding; however, it is the will of the people that will ultimately decide the fate of those governments.
Niccolo Machiavelli looks at the topic of corruption in a society; that analysis can be based on lack of leadership or rather lack of mental capabilities. According to Machiavelli, "Where the individual are not corrupt, conflicts and other crises do no harm; where they are corrupt, the best-planned laws are useless, unless the laws are imposed by someone who uses ruthless methods to make people obey him, until the individuals themselves become good."(p.125). .
On the first hand, a leader becomes ruthless and he must insists on using violence to maintain stability and on the other, desperate usage of authoritative leadership.