Bribery and corruption are corporate social responsibility issues. In certain countries, bribes are routinely paid to distributors and retailers to push a firm's products through distribution channels. Bribes can mean the difference between obtaining an important contract and being completely shut out of a market. But corruption is detrimental to society and business. Among other things, corruption can send resources toward inefficient uses, hurt economic development, distort public policy, and damage national integrity. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act addresses this issue by making bribery illegal.