Political Corruption Research Articles

An analysis of the Impact of Political Regimes on the Economy: Understanding the Corruption-Growth Relationship

Corruption and economic growth are co- related. No theoretical evidence in the literature provides clear evidence of their relationship. Some researchers believe corruption increases economic growth while others say it negatively affects the economy. This paper aims to analyse the joint effect of corruption and the type of political government (i.e., democratic or autocratic) on economic growth to provide some clarity. Panel data (2000-2020) analysis of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is used in this research paper to examine the relationship between corruption and the type of political government. GDP per capita is used as a dependent variable and economic factors are used as independent variables. A standard regression estimation approach is used. The relationship is estimated using econometric and statistical panel estimation techniques: FE, Two-stage least square and Dynamic-Panel-System GMM method. The data collected is from ICRG and WDI. The results show that corruption has a positive effect in autocratic systems than in democratic. Thus, it proves that the type of political government, corruption and economic growth are related.

Supplemental Material for Does Governmental Corruption Aid or Hamper Early Moral Development? Insights From the Dominican Republic and United States Contexts

Supplemental Material for Does Governmental Corruption Aid or Hamper Early Moral Development? Insights From the Dominican Republic and United States Contexts

Media Credibility and Voter Penalization of Corrupt Politicians in Latin America

Abstract There has been a significant growth of social media as a means to inform oneself about politics. This article explores the consequences of this trend on the credibility audiences attribute to news exposing corrupt politicians and on their willingness to penalize the exposed politicians in elections. The study focuses on ten Latin American cities and employs a randomized control trial using experimental data embedded in a survey. Through this method, credibility and penalization levels are compared between state communications, newspapers, named journalists on social media, and anonymous journalists on social media. The article’s key findings demonstrate that corruption reports published on social media are deemed less credible than those published by state auditors and newspapers. This effect is exacerbated when the source of the report is anonymous. In addition, reports on corruption published on social media by anonymous sources have a negative effect on voter penalization of corrupt politicians.

An exploratory study on supplier acceptance of and engagement in a national tax lottery designed to improve tax compliance

Purpose: To determine business owners’ perceptions of and support for a national tax lottery system in South Africa. Motivation: Tax compliance in developing countries is a challenge for governments, which depend on tax revenue to provide public goods and services. A tax lottery system has been recommended for South Africa, where customers would demand receipts for purchases that serve as lottery tickets and create paper trails that would expose tax non-compliant businesses. Literature indicates that small businesses find the process burdensome, costly, and detrimental to competitiveness and growth, particularly when customers are lost to larger businesses that are better equipped to routinely supply receipts. Design: An exploratory approach, using an online survey of suppliers to gauge their perceptions of a South African tax lottery system was followed. Findings: Of the respondent, 51% expressed support for a tax lottery system, and thus, at an exploratory level, business owners in South Africa do not seem to support a tax lottery. This is an important finding, since suppliers play an integral role in the implementation of a tax lottery system. Further research should be conducted to determine the views of a more representative sample of suppliers, to determine whether they would play their part in administering such a system. Suppliers’ biggest concern was government corruption in implementing such a system. Contribution: This study contributes to the body of knowledge on tax lotteries, particularly from a developing country perspective; furthermore, few empirical studies take the supplier perspective and acceptance of a tax lottery into account.

More transparency, more trust: Evidence from anti‐corruption campaign in China

AbstractA large body of literature has emphasized the importance of trust in the process of modernization and marketization due to its key role in reducing transaction cost, coordinating interpersonal relationships, and maintaining social harmony, limited attentions have been paid to the political setting. To address this research gap, our study empirically examines the relationship between governmental anti‐corruption effort and individual's trust. The anti‐corruption campaign since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China can serve as an excellent quasi‐natural‐experiment in this study to measure the extent to which governments devotes themselves to control corruption. Using the trace dataset of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) surveys over the period 2012 to 2016, we find that there is a positive relationship between exposure to anti‐corruption campaign and personal political and social trust. Furthermore, our results suggest that this positive effect will be more pronounced when people are nonparty members and affiliated with rural communities, while more salient for those located in east region of China. This study contributes to the literature on spillover of government corruption by linking anti‐corruption campaign and individual‐level trust. Moreover, we also add values in the literature on the determinants of personal trust by providing political explanation.

Navigating poverty in developing nations: unraveling the impact of political dynamics on sustainable well-being

Political instability, dismal governance, and corruption are among the factors that currently distress poverty. The primary objective of this research was to determine how political factors distress poverty in developing nations, which has perhaps not been investigated yet. The main objective was also to observe if the effect of political factors on poverty is a dilemma or a reality. Poverty (dependent variable) has been divided into two segments: income poverty index and Human Health Poverty Index; however, political factors (independent variables) studied were corruption, democracy, governance, and political globalization. Twenty-six years of data were taken from 1997 to 2022 of twenty-four developing nations. The poverty and institutional quality indices were constructed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The Fixed Effect, System GMM, and 2SLS approaches were used to determine the dynamic impact on poverty. Furthermore, this study incorporated fixed effects with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors to address cross-sectional dependence. The findings indicated that, although there was a significant connection between governance and income and human poverty. Democracy also showed a negative and significant relationship in the income poverty model but insignificant in the human poverty model. Political globalization showed negative and significant associations with poverty models (income and human poverty). Conversely, corruption showed a significant positive relationship in poverty models, i.e., income and human poverty.

El jefe político: genre crossover and thematic originality in a restored French film

ABSTRACT In 2021, the restoration of the long-lost French film El jefe político (‘The Political Boss’, released as La Réponse du destin in France) was finally completed. Directed by André Hugon between 1924 and 1925 and based on the homonymous novel by the Spanish writer José María Carretero, alias ‘El Caballero Audaz’ (‘The Audacious Gentleman’), it is a most remarkable melodrama set against the backdrop of the turbulent political climate that prevailed in Spain in the early 1920s. Its revival has meant rescuing two subjects from oblivion: André Hugon, a French filmmaker with one of the most prolific careers who directed more than 80 films between the 1910s and 1950s; and the film itself, a stark portrait of an upstart embroiled in political corruption. The author aims to analyse El jefe político as a film in which the most representative genres of the French commercial cinema of the time come together. This analysis will demonstrate Hugon’s personal approach to these genres as well as his originality when adapting Carretero’s novel, to which he adds two striking themes: an epidemic outbreak and the socio-political struggle to introduce the eight-hour working day.

The Authority of Pretrial Judges in Assessing the Authority to Calculate State Financial Losses in Proving the Elements of the Corruption Offence

The Authority of Pretrial Judges in Assessing the Authority to Calculate State Financial Losses in Proving the Elements of the Corruption Offence

Organized Crime, Poverty, and Drug Trafficking in Nigeria: A Sociological Perspective

The main thrust of this study is to investigate organized crime, poverty, and drug trafficking in Nigeria: A sociological perspective. The study avers that organized crime, poverty and drug trafficking has been identified over the years as not only a threat to national security in Nigeria, but also a serious social problem befalling contemporary society and globally threaten peace and unity. Regrettably, Nigeria was initially tagged as a drug-transit nation, gradually; that conception has changed in recent times, because of frantic and dogged effort by government at all levels to fight drug related activities to a standstill. The study argued that regardless of the counter efforts by NDLEA and other government agencies, sizeable amounts of drugs gain passage through the extensive seaports, airports and land borders in Nigeria on a daily basis. The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of rising organized crime, poverty, and drug trafficking on national security in Nigeria with focus on social problems and increasing damage of our national image globally. However, the study relied heavily on relevant theoretical and empirical literature from internet search engines, such as Google, journals, and text books, etc. The study adopted a quantitative research method. Functionalism Theory were explained and adopted as theoretical framework. The study reveals that the preponderance increases of organized crime, poverty, and drug trafficking in Nigeria is a veritable strong weapon for terrorism financing, social problems, corruption inducement, political instability and neglect to economic development. This has affected Nigeria international image and the negative effects are highly felt in the rising level of insecurity and drug related crimes in the country. Consequently, data for the study were generated using the secondary sources interpretative documents related to the organized crime, poverty, and drug trafficking in Nigeria. The study also identified a high level of institutional cum political corruption, poverty (unemployment) as among major contributing factors to the rising trends of organized crime, drug trafficking in Nigeria. Based on the discussion the study recommended among others: Urgent steps should be taken to increase capacity building and strengthening of Nigerian security agencies as well as good governance.

The Varieties of Money Laundering and the Determinants of Offender Choices

Two images dominate discussion of money laundering. Investigative journalists and politicians stress the variety and sophistication of methods that have been used to launder money of corrupt officials and white collar offenders. The research literature, largely dependent on criminal cases, emphasizes how unsophisticated and routine are the laundering methods used by drug dealers and other illegal market participants. The discrepancy may reflect the incapacity of police to detect sophisticated money laundering but it may also represent the reality; different groups of offenders choose different methods. This paper presents a theoretical framework to explain how offenders choose to launder their criminal earnings. Specifically it asks: what determines the sophistication of the method chosen? Among the variables that we suggest influence the choice are: (a) the type of predicate crime and of crime proceeds, (b) the type of offender (age, education, social status), (c) his/her motivations, (d) the AML environment and the level of AML controls. The paper provides arguments from criminological and economic theory for how these variables might play a role. Without claiming that individual cases can test the theory, we offer some case narratives to suggest the plausibility of the factors that we propose.

Legal experts colluding with the political and economic elites in justifying corruption: the case of Malaysia’s Madani goverment

This paper examines the increasing centralization of power by the current ‘reformist’ Malaysian government through the co-optation of civil society organizations (CSOs) to bolster the moral legitimacy of the integral state. We argue that Anwar Ibrahim’s transition from a unifying figure in oppositional politics to his current role has inadvertently led to the muting of civil society actors (CSAs) and CSOs. This co-optation has significantly diminished the autonomy and influence of civil society in Malaysia’s political landscape. A comparative analysis of the socio-economic strategies employed by Anwar and his predecessor, Najib Razak, reveals that Anwar’s efforts towards wealth redistribution and empowerment of marginalized communities have been limited. This policy approach has disproportionately affected rural constituencies, potentially altering the dynamics of political support. Furthermore, the current administration under Anwar faces criticism for failing to fulfill its campaign promise of holding corrupt politicians accountable. This situation is exacerbated by the involvement of two prominent lawyers representing politicians across party lines, raising questions about conflicts of interest and the integrity of the judicial process. Drawing on Gramscian theory, this paper posits that legal professionals should be incorporated into the concept of the ‘integral state’ due to their capacity to interpret, manipulate, and shape laws in ways that often benefit the ruling elite. This theoretical expansion provides a more comprehensive framework for understanding the mechanisms of power consolidation in contemporary Malaysian politics.

Monitoring and compliance mechanisms as a diagnostic and prognostic tool of international anti-corruption cooperation: A data-driven study

Abstract This article focuses on text-as-data analysis to identify and compare the main patterns in the implementation of international anti-corruption rules, as well as compliance with them. It is based on the observation that a comprehensive study of the operation and outcomes of international anti-corruption treaties’ monitoring and compliance mechanisms (MMs) has not yet been attempted. The primary objectives are twofold: first, to obtain structured information in the form of data on compliance with the main anti-corruption treaties by processing the text of the reports these MMs have published since their creation; and, second, to examine the impact of these treaties on state behaviour by elaborating on this newly structured information (i.e., text-as-data). This article offers the first comprehensive review of country performance, combined with a structured legal analysis of outcomes from the perspective of the interaction between international and domestic law. The findings reveal that results in implementation and compliance have been decidedly mixed. Several countries have introduced reforms to implement anti-corruption treaties, facilitate law enforcement, and ease international cooperation to investigate and prosecute corruption offences. However, numerous problems identified with prevention, particularly in European and American countries, suggest that states too often over-rely on the repressive aspects of fighting corruption and undervalue preventive mechanisms, which frequently do not exist or are inadequate. Moreover, the article identifies enduring challenges and signs of regression across different areas of prevention, criminal repression, and international cooperation, which have far-reaching implications for the effectiveness of anti-corruption policies in many jurisdictions. Finally, the data obtained from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development demonstrates considerable disparities in enforcement among the reviewed countries; a few jurisdictions have yet to see a single foreign bribery case prosecuted. Additionallly, they offer new evidence that reasons for poor compliance are highly contextual, with different implications for domestic reforms.

Corruption in Namibia: Examining the Nexus Between Survey-Identified Causes and Empirical Validation

This study investigates the causal relationship between the factors identified in the 2016 National Corruption Perception Survey Report and corruption levels in Namibia. By analysing data from 2000 to 2022, the Toda-Yamamoto VAR Granger causality test was employed to investigate the impact of greed, poor leadership and law enforcement, poverty (working poverty), and poor pay (compensation to employees) on corruption levels. The results revealed statistically significant causal linkages between greed, poor leadership and law enforcement, and poverty. Poor pay, however, showed no significant causal influence on corruption. These findings highlight the necessity of tackling issues such as equal income distribution, poverty, and governance inadequacies in anti-corruption initiatives. Targeted measures based on empirical evidence can effectively reduce corruption and increase transparency in governance. Additionally, conducting more recent corruption surveys in Namibia could yield up-to-date perceptions that could be adopted in similar country-specific studies elsewhere.

A Timeline of Journalistic Influence of Writing on the Gilded Age in American Literature

The themes found in the writings by authors during the Gilded Age are still prevalent in writings of the twenty-first century. The Gilded Age, a term used to describe a period of economic boom after the American Civil War at the turn of the century, influenced communication to readers by using the ethos unearthed by writers who were opposed to a particular politician and their policies. The Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth through the invention of the railroad and business. What looked like a golden time was an era of great growing pains in America between the industrial worker and the wealthy business owner. What the Gilded Age symbolized in both life and writing has become a model of writing that extended to current literature. American writers contributed to a great body of literature that flourished during the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth through the invention of the railroad and business. Literature was used as a social revolt that violated the growing power of business and growing government corruption that outlined the utopias of the inefficiency of a capitalistic system. Within genres of writing such as Poetry, the later nineteenth century, and early years of the twentieth century were a poor period for American poetry providing themes of distress, doubts, and fears about American life. Within the genres of writing, newspaper writing played a crucial role in exposing scandals, the pathos of the American Dream, and the logos or persuasion by using the trials of society. Writing was a powerful communication tool during the Gilded Age that allowed writers to target events during this era. Newspaper writing was important to communicating prominent issues to the public, as it upheld ideals to question government and keep it accountable. However, the Gilded Age writings helped to permanently etch in the minds of readers the importance of themes that were prevalent post-Civil War that impacted the writing and writers of American Literature.

Pertanggungjawaban Konsultan Pengawas Jasa Konstruksi Terhadap Tindak Pidana Korupsi

This study examines the liability of construction service supervisory consultants in criminal acts of corruption, with a focus on criminal law enforcement mechanisms, forms of liability, and recommendations for strengthening the supervision system and preventing corruption in the construction sector. Using normative legal research methods, this study examines primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials relevant to the research topic.The approaches used include statute approach, conceptual approach, and case approach. The analysis is conducted qualitatively with descriptive analytical method to produce a comprehensive picture of the problem under study.The results show that the criminal law enforcement mechanism against supervisory consultants involved in corruption involves a complex process, from investigation to court decisions, with the main challenge being proving the involvement of consultants in corruption schemes. The form of liability of supervisory consultants can be in the form of individual, corporate, or in solidum criminal liability, with sanctions that include imprisonment, fines, and state loss recovery obligations.The research also produces recommendations for strengthening the supervision system and preventing corruption, which include the implementation of technology in project supervision, increasing transparency through e-procurement, strengthening the whistleblowing system, improving the quality and independence of supervisory consultants, as well as regulatory reform and law enforcement.The research conclusions emphasize the importance of a holistic approach in addressing corruption in the construction sector, incorporating legal, management, technological and ethical aspects. The implementation of the proposed recommendations is expected to contribute to the creation of a cleaner, more efficient, and higher quality construction industry in Indonesia.

Assessing the Relationship between Political Financing and Policy Bias in B40 Welfare Policies during COVID-19

This conceptual paper delves into the intricate relationship between political financing and policy bias in the implementation of welfare policies for the B40 (Below 40 is the 40% of the total population that earns the lowest tier of household income compared to the first group of T20-Top 20% and second category M40-Middle 40%) cluster in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The B40 cluster comprises the most economically vulnerable segment of the population residing in public housing (the heavily subsidized government-owned residential areas for underprivileged citizens with certain household income categories). This study aims to unravel how political financing influences the formulation and execution of welfare policies, potentially leading to bias in resource allocation and support provision. Through an exhaustive review of existing scholarly literature and analysis of pertinent case studies, this paper embarks on examining the degree to which political financing impacts the decision-making process concerning welfare policies. The analysis focuses on identifying potential biases in policy formulation that may favor the interests of political entities providing financial backing to policymakers. Furthermore, the study also explores the implications of such biases on the equitable distribution of resources to the B40 cluster during the global COVID-19 crisis. The conceptual framework employed in this paper draws from theories of political economy, corruption, and public policy. By dissecting the extant body of literature, the paper aims to offer a nuanced comprehension of the dynamics between political financing and policy bias in the realm of welfare policies for the B40 cluster. The eventual findings are poised to enrich the theoretical understanding of the influence exerted by political financing on the formulation and execution of welfare policies, particularly during periods of global crisis. By identifying policy biases stemming from political financing, this study aspires to catalyze critical discussions on the imperative of transparent and accountable decision-making processes. Such deliberations are vital to ensuring the fair and effective implementation of welfare policies for the B40 cluster in Kuala Lumpur amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper thus serves as a clarion call for enhanced governance mechanisms and institutional reforms to uphold the principles of fairness, equity, and social justice in welfare policy formulation and implementation. This study contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the nexus between political financing and policy bias in the context of welfare policies for vulnerable populations. It underscores the importance of addressing systemic flaws in governance and decision-making processes to mitigate the adverse effects of political influence on welfare policy outcomes. Moreover, the findings of this study have practical implications for policymakers, advocacy groups, civil society organizations and other stakeholders involved in shaping welfare policy agendas and advocating for reform initiatives. In conclusion, this paper calls for a concerted effort to promote transparency, accountability, and integrity in the formulation and implementation of welfare policies. By fostering a culture of ethical governance and democratic participation, policymakers can ensure that welfare programs serve the interests of the most vulnerable members of society and contribute to equitable and sustainable development outcomes.

ВОПРОСЫ ДИСЦИПЛИНАРНОГО ПРИНУЖДЕНИЯ В СИСТЕМЕ ПРОТИВОДЕЙСТВИЯ КОРРУПЦИОННЫМ ПРАВОНАРУШЕНИЯМ

The article discusses the concept of a disciplinary corruption offense, this issue is important from the point of view of applying various disciplinary measures to combat corruption. Such a category as a "corruption disciplinary offense" is predetermined by its functionality in determining methods of coercive influence for violation of anti-corruption legislation. Based on this, the paper formulates proposals on the need for legislative consolidation of such a category as “disciplinary corruption offense", as well as proposals on its differentiation. The importance of such a definition as dismissal due to loss of trust will be determined by its functionality in determining the optimal legal means of influence for committing disciplinary corruption offenses. Based on this, the paper formulates proposals concerning the definition of trust and distrust in the civil service

Strengthening Change Management Principles to Eliminate Corruption in Local Government of the Republic of South Africa. A Case of Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality

Change management is crucial in addressing corruption within local governments, particularly in developing countries like South Africa. This study examines the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, focusing on how intensifying change management principles can effectively eliminate corruption. By analysing various stakeholders' roles, including employees, politicians, and directors, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the corruption dynamics within the municipality. Using a qualitative research design, the study explores the effectiveness of change management strategies through detailed data collection and analysis. The findings underscore the importance of robust change management in fostering a corruption-free local government environment.

Party identification as a mediating variable in the perception of governmental legitimacy in Israel during the coronavirus epidemic

AbstractObjectiveThe policy implemented in Israel with the purpose of eradicating the COVID‐19 pandemic restricted Israeli citizens’ individual freedom. During this period, Israel was suffering from government instability that led to recurring election campaigns within a short period. In addition, the prime minister was under legal investigation for suspicions of government corruption. This study examines the legitimization of government by the Israeli public during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsThe research findings are based on a representative attitude survey conducted by a survey company among Israeli citizens (men and women older than 18), including 604 respondents from the Jewish population and others and another 135 respondents from the Arab sector, that is, a total of 739 respondents, where the sampling error was 4.4 percent.ResultsThe findings indicate that right‐wing voters tended to support governmental legitimization at a higher rate compared to voters from opposing blocs. Correspondingly, they tended to oppose claims attacking governmental legitimization at a lower rate in comparison to coalition party voters.ConclusionThe conclusion indicates that the party identification of the respondents is a mediating variable in their perception of governmental legitimacy vis‐à‐vis each of the three variables examined, thereby strengthening the perceptual screening.

The system of prevention of offences in the field of public procurement during martial law in Ukraine in comparison with the European Union

The issue of public procurement, particularly in the defence sector, has become especially pressing during the period of Russian aggression in Ukraine. The risk of corruption in this area is significant and can have fatal consequences for the state. The purpose of this article was to review the system for countering and preventing violations in the field of public procurement, which was created in response to the challenges of martial law in Ukraine. A comparison of this system with the corresponding mechanisms of the European Union was conducted. The methodological basis of the article was a dialectical approach to analysing the crime prevention system in the field of public procurement in Ukraine and worldwide. The study employed methods of formal logic, as well as systemic-structural, systematisation, generalisation, forecasting, phenomenological, comparative-legal, and comparative analysis. Scientific approaches to preventing offences in the field of public procurement in several foreign countries were examined, as well as the main rules and standards introduced in the European Union in this field. It was substantiated that the system for preventing offences in the field of public procurement under martial law in Ukraine is not optimal, and this also applies to EU countries, despite the collective international and national measures taken. It was argued that public procurement is inextricably linked with politics and is used as a tool for achieving the strategic objectives of a particular state. The issue of preventing corruption offences in the field of public procurement is extremely relevant for researchers, and the results of its thorough study will enable Ukraine to achieve significant progress in combating this phenomenon, in addition to the measures already taken by the state during martial law