James, a government purchaser, is told that if he awards ABC $5 million in contracts, ABC will hire him later at a higher salary; no money changes hands. Is this bribery or corruption?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not bribery if no money changes hands
• D. Depends on context

Answer: (B)

Bribery occurs when someone offers or promises something of value to influence a public official’s decision. Here, ABC promises James future employment if he awards the contract. That future job is a valuable incentive intended to secure the contract, so the official action would be influenced by that promise. Even with no money changing hands now, the exchange is still bribery because the motive is to obtain favorable treatment through a personal benefit. Therefore, this is bribery or corruption.