From New York to North Carolina, politics is a mess. Are we stuck with corruption?

Everywhere we look these days, politics is a mess.

In North Carolina, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson has been accused of posting ugly, outrageous comments on a porn site’s message board more than a decade ago. Robinson, a Republican, denies he posted the messages.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal fraud, bribery and campaign finance charges. Adams, a Democrat, is accused of abusing “his position as this city’s highest elected official … to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions,” US attorney Damian Williams said at a news conference Thursday.

And, of course, former and perhaps future President Donald Trump faces a slew of state and federal charges, ranging from election interference to mishandling classified documents.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to figure out if we should vote for people who keep getting embroiled in scandal after scandal. Our political leaders seem ever more power-hungry and scandal-driven.

Secretly working as an agent for a foreign government?

Adams’ charges are particularly striking. He’s the first mayor of New York to be criminally charged while in office. That’s saying a lot given New York’s long and less than pristine history.

The 57-page indictment accuses Adams of illegal acts going back for a decade. He’s even accused of working as an agent of the Turkish government. On Friday, the mayor guilty not guilty in federal court to five corruption charges.

Incredibly, Adams isn’t the only New York official accused this month of secretly working as an agent for a foreign government.

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On Sept. 3, Linda Sun, who served as former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, was indicted on federal charges of working as an agent for the Chinese government. Sun’s husband also is accused of taking millions of dollars in kickbacks from Chinese leaders.

The apparent corruption doesn’t stop at the Hudson. New Jersey’s Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez resigned last month after being convicted of taking bribes as an agent of the Egyptian government.

These are only a handful of examples. Dozens of other leaders at the local, state and federal levels have been accused of terrible errors in judgment or outright corruption.

Has American politics devolved?

Politics may not be messier now than in previous generations. Politics is about gaining and using power, so it often reveals the worst of human nature.

Politics throughout history has been stained by corruption and blood. Julius Caesar was assassinated in ancient Rome. King Henry VIII upended religion and politics in England for the sake of lust − then had the object of his desire decapitated to get rid of her.

Our own nation’s history also is violent − and, from Teapot Dome to Watergate, often corrupt.

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Scandals aside, though, politics does seem to have changed − or should I say devolved? − in recent years. Our politicians seem more egotistical and entitled. Facts matter less than scoring political points. Division is more valued than unity.

Now, when I listen to congressional hearings, I think what a raucous bunch of caustic, arrogant fools.

Culture has changed. Have the people?

Cultural changes may well play a role in the way politicians behave now. Technology has made a slew of conveniences accessible and affordable, prompting many of us to waste hours every day scrolling through social media feeds. Apps deliver our needs and phones communicate our wants. The daily grind that used to occupy a person’s life is not nearly as tedious or all-consuming as it was only decades ago.

In our strength, perhaps we have become weak.

Values ​​that used to give life meaning have all but diminished: Church attendance is down, fewer people are getting married, birth rates have decreased.

Younger generations are struggling to work, leave home and even get a driver’s license. A meaningless existence has given way to a vacuous sense for power and childishness.

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We are all modern-day Romans now, bored with our wealth and republic, demanding bread and circulations, apps and entertainment.

Despite how ugly it all appears, our politics is more civilized now than throughout much of history − at least on the surface. But the ambitious, self-interested and corrupt are still drawn to the flame of power and influence.

And scandal and chaos are sure to follow.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: From Trump to Adams to Robinson, US politics is a mess