 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (September 2019) |
A sweetheart deal or sweetheart contract is a contractual agreement, usually worked out in secret, that greatly benefits some of the parties while inappropriately disadvantaging other parties or the public at large. The term was coined in the 1940s to describe corrupt labor contracts that were favorable to the employer rather than the workers, and usually involved some kind of kickback or special treatment for the labor negotiator.[1][2]
The term is also applied to special arrangements between private corporations and government entities, whereby the corporation and sometimes a government official reap the benefits, rather than the public.[3] No-bid contracts may be awarded to people who have political connections or make donations to influential politicians.[4] Sometimes a sweetheart deal involves tax breaks or other inducements to get a corporation to do business in that city or state.[5][6]
A "sweetheart settlement" may also occur in a legal context. For example, in a class-action lawsuit the attorneys representing a class of plaintiffs may reach an agreement with the defendant in which the primary result is a lucrative fee for the attorneys rather than maximum compensation for the class members.[7]
- ^ Main, Carla T. (2007). Bulldozed: "Kelo", Eminent Domain and the American Lust for Land. New York: Encounter Books. p. 62. ISBN 978-1594032899. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ Weir, Robert E.; Hanlan, James P. (2004). Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 478. ISBN 0313328641. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ Palmatier, Robert Allen (2000). Food: A Dictionary of Literal and Nonliteral Terms. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 352. ISBN 0313314365. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
Sweetheart deal.
- ^ Sherman, Ted (August 2, 2019). "Political players got sweetheart deals in poor N.J. school district, critics charge". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Crystal (July 23, 2019). "'Sweetheart deal' or 'wording issue'? Missouri tax credit tailored for Burns & McDonnell". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Are corporate tax incentives worth it?". The Week. February 12, 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Mathis, Klaus, ed. (2014). Law and Economics in Europe: Foundations and Applications. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 246. ISBN 978-9400771109. Retrieved 2017-01-19.