In this chapter of the second edition of The Rule of Law in the 21st Century: A Worldwide Perspective, Kathryn Cameron Atkinson and Homer Moyer discuss the threat of official corruption on the rule of law. "By definition, official corruption can undermine the rule of law. If official corruption is unchecked, it can become pervasive, cutting across all functions of government," the authors wrote, adding that "It can then broadly undermine public confidence in the integrity and fairness of government. Public apathy, cynicism or acceptance of public corruption can, in turn, cripple a country’s ability to embrace and sustain the rule of law."