Political Corruption

Abstract

Corruption is once again high on the international policy agenda as a result of globalization, the spread of democracy, and major scandals and reform initiatives. But the concept itself has been a focus for social scientists for many years, and new findings and data take on richer meanings when viewed in the context of long-term developments and enduring conceptual debates. This compendium, a much-enriched version of a work that has been a standard reference in the field since 1970, offers concepts, cases, and fresh evidence for comparative analysis. Building on a nucleus of classic studies laying out the nature and development of the concept of corruption, the book also incorporates recent work on economic, cultural, and linguistic dimensions of the problem, as well as critical analyses of approaches to reform. Two-thirds of the nearly fifty articles are especially written or translated for this volume, or based on selected journal literature published in the 1990s. The tendency to treat corruption as a synonym for bribery is illuminated by analyses of the diverse terminology and linguistic techniques that distinguish corruption problems in the major languages. Recent attempts to measure corruption and to analyze its causes and effects quantitatively are also critically examined. New contributions emphasize corruption phenomena in Asia and Africa, contrasts among region and regime types, the incidence of U.S. state corruption, European Party finance and corruption, assessments of international corruption ratings, analyses of international corruption control treaties, and unintended consequences of anti-corruption efforts. Cumulatively, the book combines descriptive richness, analytical thrust, conceptual awareness, and contextual articulation.

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