As kids we were all taught that cheating is wrong, that it doesn't matter who wins, it's how you play the game.

But, in real life, most Americans apparently don't believe honesty is always the best policy, because cheating is at an all-time high.

A recent survey shows that 70 percent of all golfers cheat at the game. Apparently, there are some rules the royal and ancient golf club of St. Andrews never thought of.

While the score may not matter in friendly rounds of golf, in the contact sport that is the real world, the author of "The Cheating Culture" says people cheat more than ever.

Evening Magazine

Cheating is at an all-time high.

"Our culture's very cutthroat, very focused on money, our economy creates big rewards for the winners on top and insecurity for the people who don't get to the top," said David Callahan.

Cheating is impacting every part of our lives.

While the headlines go to the CEO's who cooked the books, the baseball players accused of juicing up on steroids and the reporters who fabricated stories, it's regular folks who cut the corners and bend the rules.

Two out of every 10 Americans say it's okay to cheat on taxes.

Three out of 10 know someone getting free cable television.

Six out of 10 say downloading music files isn't really stealing.

"Ordinary people feel like the rules don't really make any sense. They look at big shots in our society who often cheat and end up winning or cheat and get away with a slap on the wrist," said Callahan. "People are very cynical these days that any rules are worth following."

And that cynicism is seeping into our schools.

In another recent poll, 75 percent students admit to cheating on tests – up from 61 percent a decade ago.

The high-school students we gathered said, look again at the case of Jayson Blair, the New York Times reporter who admitted he either stole or made up parts of his stories. Forced to resign, he got a half-million-dollar advance for a memoir nobody bought.

"It's really like the message is nobody gets rich being honest," said one student.

"The fish sort of rots from the head down, the trickle-down corruption in America," said Callahan. "People see the cheating by the CEO's and the celebrities and they think, why not cut corners myself!"

Which could explain all those people you see driving past you solo in the HOV lanes.

Callahan says the underlying cause of all this cheating is a nation obsessed with wealth. Too many people, he says, judge their self-worth on their net-worth, and because the rules of life aren't fair, it's easy to justifying bending or even breaking a few.

Though Martha Stewart is "small potatoes" in the midst of all the corporate scandal uncovered in recent years, Callahan says her conviction for insider trading sends a message to the rest of the cheating culture.

"In this climate I think it's very important to have that strong signal sent that nobody's untouchable, nobody is above the law," he said.

What can be done to reverse this cheating trend?

Author David Callahan says talk to your kids about the importance of honesty and integrity, and be a good role model.

Reach reporter Saint Bryan at sbryan@king5.com.