Final answer:
Bribery involves providing money, property, or favors to gain an unfair business advantage, which is prevalent in industries and politics, undermining democracy and fairness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The practice of providing money, property, or favors to someone in business or government to gain a business advantage is known as bribery. This unethical behavior has been observed across various industries where companies use their power and influence to manipulate politics and lawmakers. In machine politics, for example, favors are exchanged for votes or speedy legislative action, often involving a kickback to the one orchestrating the deal. This is detrimental to democracy, as it bypasses transparency and fairness in favor of private advantages. Moreover, the rise of powerful lobbying groups acting on behalf of industries and professions has led to concerns about the integrity of democratic processes, as campaign contributions and other forms of influence can appear to be bribes.