[trhway]

>"bribe" only applies when you're inducing someone to breach their responsibilities to someone else or "the system" as a whole

so, what would you call a payment for them to perform their legal duties, like issue a document for example, which they must perform by law, yet aren't going to until you pay?

[pjc50]

That is also a breach of their responsibilities, and therefore a bribe, because they should be doing it anyway. I'm reminded of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_rupee_note

(does raise the question "if you pay a bribe with something valueless is that still a bribe")

[lmm]

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act calls that a "grease payment".

[omnicognate]

A.K.A. Facilitation/facilitating payment: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitating_payment

[trhway]

checked Russian law (below, in Russian) as this is where my understanding formed - it is all bribe there as i always thought, only for the "breach" (part 3.) the punishment is stronger

http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_10699/6411e00...