The benefits of anti-corruption programming: implications for low to lower middle income countries

Abstract

The consequences of corruption are typically examined in terms of the economic costs that they impose on a society. This study suggests that as good an argument can be made for the inverse relationship: significant benefits can be accrued by countries that effectively implement anti-corruption programming. Together, a powerful cost-benefit analysis can serve to motivate practical anti-corruption policy planning and action. An advantage of the “benefits” approach is greater data reliability. The study finds that strong implementation of anti-corruption initiatives is more important to achieving social, political, economic and human development benefits for society than merely establishing a good legal-institutional framework to fight corruption. Raising public expectations without strong delivery of visible anti-corruption programming is especially detrimental. Most interestingly, the study finds that a country’s level of development and wealth has little to do with its level of anti-corruption programming. Thus, it is not a good excuse for Vietnam or other developing countries to point to their level of development or wealth as a reason for why they are not doing as much as they can to implement anti-corruption reforms effectively. A country’s wealth is not a predictor of progress or success in this area.