When is it called bribery?

I just read an article about a woman in Alberta who's struggling to get the government of that province to acknowledge that fracking has caused irreparable damage to her property and that a delivery of toxic water should be of consequence to the company that delivered it. The article exemplifies, in my opinion, the way governmental officials and politicians turn a blind eye to anything that could jeopardize the relationship they have with large corporations. Corporations have the funding and the wherewithal to lobby and financially support hand-picked politicians during elections and after they're in office. While there are some rules around contributions there are many ways to get around them and many do so. In other countries when an official is given money for favors it's called bribery and corruption. What do we call it here? Business as usual? We certainly don't admit that any time a politician makes a decision based on where their financial support comes from that it's out and out bribery and extortion and ultimately, corruption results. What else can we name it?
The common folk are afraid to address this way of doing things for fear of being labelled shrill or out of touch. Or, are they hoping that they, too, could someday be in a position either to receive such gifting, or to be able to persuade their politicians with some cash of their own? Or, is it because we know that if we complain too much we'll be cut out of the good graces of the person-in-charge-for-the-day?
As I see it, it stinks to high heaven, as much as the toxic fumes are stinking up the atmosphere of Alberta and other oil-drilling and fracking sites around the world.
A sad state of affairs, indeed.