Individual people make up society. If those individuals are mostly corrupt, then society becomes corrupt as well, isn't it? If a judge knows that he won't get in trouble for accepting bribes because the DA won't prosecute, then the "institutional strength and power distribution" would be affected by that. Where is the difference here?

And not to nitpick, but why are you now scare quoting corruption, when before you did not? Do you not think corruption is a real problem?