One of the most powerful words in the English language, "corruption" is also one of the most troubled concepts in law. According to Laura Underkuffler, it is a concept based on religiously revealed ideas of good and evil. But the notion of corruption defies the ordinary categories by which law defines crimes—categories that punish acts, not character, and that eschew punishment on the basis of religion and emotion. Drawing on contemporary examples—including former assemblywoman Diane Gordon and former governor Rod Blagojevich—Underkuffler explores the implications and dangers of maintaining such an archaic concept at the heart of criminal law.

"Underkuffler challenges the traditional rational and logical characteri...