Why We Cheat

Getting ahead by taking 'shortcuts' is costing America billions of dollars and loads of respect. So why does it seem like everybody's doing it?

By Margraret Littman
CTW Features

Newspaper headlines these days are wet with stories about cheaters, most recently Barry Bonds' continued steroid and amphetamine allegations, and Peter Hartz, former Volkswagen executive and German labour market reformer, who admitted personally endorsing millions of dollars in illegal payments in a perks-and-prostitutes scandal.

And regular folks fudge tax returns, pad expense reports and steal cable TV all the time. Sports heroes take steroids and 80 percent of straight-A students admit they have cheated to keep ahead.

In his sixth book, "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," David Callahan takes an in-depth look why Americans cheat. In short, he says society tempts us, watchdogs let us get away with it and we figure everyone's doing it. In an interview, the author says cheating is more frequent and easier to get away with than ever before.

Question: Why is there so much cheating?

Callahan: Growing economic inequality since the 1970s means that the carrots are bigger for those who get to the top, while average people are just scraping by. Meanwhile, watchdogs have been sleeping, and the culture has grown more permissive of cutthroat behavior.

Question: In the book you say cheaters are in two categories, those from the "winning class" and others from the "anxious class." Which is the biggest problem in the cheating culture?

Callahan: Cheating by the winning class is the bigger problem, since the rich and powerful stand as role models to millions of Americans. When people in high-profile positions of power cheat and, too often, get away with cheating, it sends a signal to ordinary people that the system is rigged in favor of big shots. That makes people cynical that any rules are worth following.

Question: What effects did you find cheating had on our society, and why should we care?

Callahan: The costs of cheating are vast. Tax cheating costs the U.S. Treasury at least $250 billion a year, and each tax payer pays an average of $1,500 of a year more to subsidize cheaters. Workplace theft, much of it by people who see themselves as law-abiding, costs about $600 billion a year, or 6 percent of the gross domestic product,costs that are passed along to customers and clients. Cheating is not just a problem, it is also a symptom of problems of increased financial anxiety among middle-class professionals, of too much power in the hands of the rich, of widespread cynicism that any rules are worth following among just about everyone, and of the way our society has become saturated with greed and envy.

Question: When a bartender gives his friends free drinks or a fry cook gives out a free burger, you call it trickle-down corruption.Why do people think it's OK to break the rules?

Callahan: Surveys show that many people feel unfairly treated by their employer. They are unhappy with their pay or their benefits or the lack of respect they get. Unhappiness in the workplace has been spreading as downsizing has become more common and as employers have tried to squeeze more productivity out of workers. In this kind of climate, many people feel they are entitled to "a little something extra" in the workplace.

Question: Sports heroes get caught cheating all the time. Do athletes face a greater pressure to cheat?

Callahan: Many athletes report that they feel they have to take performance-enhancing drugs like steroids to keep up with other doping athletes. Also, the rewards for top athletes are so astronomical these days that there are ever great incentives to do whatever it takes to be a star.

Question: Why is society so quick to forgive cheaters?

Callahan: We love winners in America. Even winners who've cheated to get to the top. That's indicative of how much we worship fame and money nowadays.

Question: What can be done to slow the cheating epidemic?

Callahan: First and foremost, we need to crack down on cheaters at the top of the food chain who are role models for the rest of society. These means strengthening government watchdog groups. We also need better policing of professions like law and medicine, and this is best done by professional associations. There is also much that can be done to reduce cheating in schools through honor codes that foster academic integrity. More broadly, we need to try to shift American culture away from a focus on money and cutthroat values. We need to get away from a society where people judge their self worth by their net worth.

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