When government leaders abuse their power to make money and gain power?

• A. Political Corruption
• B. Progressive
• C. Immigration
• D. Muckraker

Answer: (A)

Political corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain. When leaders use their power to enrich themselves and extend their influence—through bribery, kickbacks, embezzlement, or favoritism toward friends and relatives—the public trust is betrayed. The question points to this behavior. In American history, such corruption was common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which is why muckraking journalists exposed abuses and the Progressive movement pushed reforms to curb corruption and increase government accountability. The other terms don’t fit because a progressive aims to reform, a muckraker exposes corruption, and immigration concerns policy, not the abuse of office for personal gain.