Political Corruption Research Articles

Revisiting the nexus between corruption and gender: does women’s political participation in parliament matter?

ABSTRACT The study aims to empirically verify the hypotheses that the increase in the share of women legislator in politics has the potential to reduce levels of corruption within the Parliament and overall political corruption levels. Using data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) platform, fixed effects, and generalised method of moments (GMM-System) models are estimated for a set of 154 countries between 1995 and 2018. The results show that when considering corruption within the legislative house, the greater share of women in politics is associated with lower levels of corruption. Even after controlling for various societal factors, the results confirm the positive effect of women’s participation in parliament on the decline of corruption. Yet, this effect does not seem to spill over into other branches of government and sectors of the public sphere. When considering the level of more general corruption, it responds much more to variations in structural aspects, as democratic maturity and equality in the distribution of political power among different socioeconomic strata, than to women’s participation in parliamentary seats.

From Historical Context to Contemporary Realities: Illicit Capital Outflows from Nepal

This paper explores illicit capital outflows, explaining its multifaceted implications in underdeveloped countries like Nepal. The paper also highlights the historical dynamics adjacent to illicit financial transfers, including their causes, mechanisms, and repercussions. The paper examines the various facets of illicit capital outflows, corruption, and bad governance mechanisms in Nepal. It explores how modern technology and global financial structures facilitate these outflows, contributing to a drain of resources from Nepal. Moreover, the study delves into historical contexts where significant capital outflows occurred due to political transitions and exploitation of national treasuries. The paper also discusses contemporary instances of illicit financial activities, including illegal transactions through Currency Smuggling, Hundi, and the involvement of banks and business entities in illegal capital flights from Nepal to abroad. It emphasizes the challenges faced by regulatory bodies in curbing these illicit practices and their adverse impacts on economic development, revenue collection, and the formal economy in Nepal.

Making or breaking the cycle of corruption: Exploring the impact of transitional justice on corruption in postconflict countries

Does the implementation of transitional justice (TJ) mechanisms such as trials, truth commissions, and institutional reforms reduce corruption by enhancing accountability, building trust, and creating a culture of deterrence? Although prior work has studied whether economic crimes should be included in TJ agendas, TJ’s potential to address corruption has been mostly overlooked. On the one hand, theory suggests that TJ could reduce corruption; yet, on the other, it indicates that TJ mechanisms are not effective enough at solving deep-rooted corruption. Testing these opposing arguments using data from 106 postconflict countries that experienced conflict between 1946 and 2006, I find that the implementation of TJ and corruption are not statistically associated. However, when I further investigate this relationship with only “well-implemented” TJ mechanisms, purges are found to be negatively associated with political corruption and amnesties are positively associated with regime corruption.

Perceptions of Local Political Corruption

In this paper, we explore the roots of perceptions of local corruption in U.S. cities, using survey data collected from 39 cities during 40 different mayoral election campaigns. We examine the impact of the city-level corruption context alongside measures of political information, partisan and racial/ethnic representation in local government, evaluations of personal and policy satisfaction, and other individual-level attitudinal and demographic characteristics. We find that perceptions of local corruption are responsive to the local corruption context—though this relationship is heavily conditioned by political knowledge—satisfaction with local conditions, other attitudinal measures, and, to a lesser extent, co-ethnic representation in local government.

Corruption factors as a problem for security in the digital economy

The article examines the concept of «digital economy», highlights the elements of the digital economy, and determines the relevance of the development of the post–industrial economy. An analysis is carried out of one of the main problems that slows down economic growth and brings losses to the state — corruption. The term «corruption» is explained, and the concept of «corruption factors», their various types and types, which have a significant impact on the economic situation, is also considered. Conclusions are drawn about what gives rise to new corruption schemes. Factors that have a decisive influence on the transformation of the global economic system are identified. Particular attention is paid to anti–corruption policy and the introduction of digital technologies to combat corruption, and preventive measures. The influence of the anti–corruption legal policy of the state is revealed. The digital transformation of the economy is considered within the framework of the program for the development of the digital economy in the Russian Federation until 2035. Corruption indicators in other countries are studied. Statistical data are presented that help to draw a conclusion about the level of the corruption index in the Russian Federation.

Bad governance in Australia and how to mitigate it

AbstractWe argue that new public management (NPM) and other processes have led to adverse selection and agency rent problems within the political elite in Australia. The politicisation of the public service and the rise of careerist politicians have led to the de‐separation of what was once two distinct career paths within the political elite. This has changed the decision premise of the advisory system for policy formation and implementation, leading to worse public policy, even policy disasters. We recommend that some of the principles of the Westminster form of government be updated and re‐instituted for political elites within the structures of the Australian government. We canvass four reforms: return to merit appointments and promotion for public servants; a return to tenure for senior public servants; an enhanced push for descriptive representation within the career public service; and a formal role for staffers with centralised appointments, inability to instruct public servants, and restrictions on political and policy roles once leaving public service. These are designed to end the distrust, perceived corruption, and poor governance in the Australian government.Points for practitioners Having separate career paths for non‐elected policy elites and elected elites is vital for information transmission and good governance. Each should operate with separate decision premises and work together in creative tension. NPM practices have weakened the separate career paths of public servants and politicians, leading to adverse selection and agency rent for both. The Westminster system has a logic that has been diluted or weakened within the Australian government, leading to poorer policy and policy disasters. The paper presents four areas for reform.

CORRUPTION AS AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL PROBLEM: STRATEGIC MEASURES TO FIGHT CORRUPTION IN UKRAINE

It is determined that during the full-scale war, the corruption system that has existed in Ukraine for decades was able to adapt and quickly develop new niches, including those related to the war. The Great War did not become an impetus for a real fight against or minimization of corruption schemes. Under these conditions, corruption remains a serious factor that negatively affects most processes in the country (economic, social, political, legal, and other), and is an obstacle to NATO membership and state development. It is noted that over the past ten years, a number of anti-corruption laws have been adopted in Ukraine, which demonstrates the confident direction of the state to address this problem. However, their implementation is not sufficient to reduce the level of corruption in the country. To improve the state of anti-corruption measures, it is necessary to ensure the legitimacy of all branches of government, and comprehensive work in this area is important. It is proved that the fight against corruption is a long-term process that requires constant efforts and cooperation from all segments of society, but it is necessary to ensure a comprehensive approach to overcoming corruption. The author identifies the key elements, the introduction and implementation of which, in combination, will reduce corruption to a level that will not pose a serious threat to the State and society, in particular, have the potential to overcome this global phenomenon. In addition, the author outlines strategic measures to minimize corruption in Ukraine.

Puerto Rican physician’s recommendations to mitigate medical migration from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States

Puerto Rico (PR) is a United States (US) territory with a history of colonial violence, poverty, and government corruption. Due to these sociopolitical factors and natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes and earthquakes), there has been a sharp increase in PR residents migrating to the mainland US. Local media and professional health organizations focus on the impact of medical migration on the PR health system (e.g., health personnel shortages and long waiting periods for critical care). According to the PR College of Physicians and Surgeons, 365–500 physicians have left annually since 2014, which represents a crisis of access to health services. However, few studies have focused on ways to mitigate medical migration from PR to the US mainland. This article describes the recommendations provided by migrating and non-migrating Puerto Rican Physicians (PRPs) to mitigate medical migration from PR to the US mainland. We focus on qualitative data from a mixed-methods NIH-funded study (1R01MD014188) to explore factors that motivate or mitigate migration among migrating (n = 26) and non-migrating (n = 24) PRPs. Interviews were analyzed following thematic analysis guidelines. Results show the following themes: 1) strategies to retain early-career medical residents living in PR; 2) recommendations for local government on future health policy; and 3) work environment initiatives for health institutions to mitigate physician migration. Findings suggest multilevel efforts are required to mitigate medical migration in PR.

Do the sector-orientation and the origin of foreign direct investment explain types of corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa?

This paper focuses on analysing the effects of sector orientation and the origin of FDI on the types of corruption. The GMM technique and the IV-2SLS on a panel of Sub-Saharan African countries were used. Globally, we find that FDI increases political corruption in SSA. Moreover, the study shows that sector orientation and the origin of FDI have significant effects on each type of corruption. Primary sector FDI enhances public sector corruption and reduces judicial corruption. Secondary sector FDI increases executive, public, and judicial corruption. In the tertiary sector, executive and public corruption are enhanced while judiciary corruption is reduced. Regarding the origin, FDI from France increases public sector corruption whereas FDI from China and the USA reduces it. Executive corruption is reduced by FDI, regardless of its origin. FDI from France and the USA discourages judiciary corruption while FDI from China increases it. FDI from China reduces legislative corruption, while FDI from the USA tends to increase it. Furthermore, the analysis of the transmission channels shows education and development levels as important channels through which FDI could reduce corruption in SSA. Relevant policy implications derived from this study include the necessity for policy-makers to combat all types of corruption and mostly public corruption.

A Fair Investment Environment: The Impact of the Shadow Economy, the Harshness of the Courts Against Corrupt Officials, Tax Pressure and Restrictions on Business

Creating a fair investment environment is crucial for economic growth and attracting domestic and foreign investors. The purpose of this study is to find out how the shadow economy, harshness of courts against corrupt officials, tax pressure, and restrictions on business affect the fair investment environment. Therefore, two economic-mathematical models are built using multiple least squares regression analysis, in which the outcome variables are: in model 1 ‒ control over corruption, which is a component of the Global Governance Index; in model 2 ‒ the European Business Association’s Investment Attractiveness Index. The composition of the factor attributes in both models is the same: Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International; level of shadow economy according to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine; the number of criminal cases in courts under the article “Acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an undue benefit by an official” using open data from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions; total tax and fee rate, which reflects taxes and mandatory payments as a percentage of commercial profit, determined by the World Bank Group methodology; assessment of “Starting Business” by Doing Business, according to the methodology of the World Bank Group. The modeling is based on the example of Ukraine for 2012‒2022. Calculations based on Model 1 show that restrictions on business have the greatest impact on the corruption control indicator (a 10% reduction in restrictions leads to a 3-point reduction in the need to control corruption), the shadow economy and tax pressure have an average impact (a one-point increase in them will increase the level of corruption by 0.4 points). The harshness of the courts against corrupt officials has the least impact (most corruption cases in Ukraine do not reach the courts). Calculations based on Model 2 show that the complexity of starting a business exerts the greatest impact on investment attractiveness (if it decreases by 15%, investment attractiveness will increase by almost 1 unit). The average impact is exerted by the increase in the shadow economy (a 10% increase in the shadow economy leads to a rise in investment attractiveness by 0.4 units). The insignificant impact is exerted by the tax burden and judicial punishment of corrupt officials.

The Impact of Religion and Culture on Political Corruption in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State: A Case Study of 2015 General Elections

This study examines the impact of religion and culture on political corruption in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State in reference to 2015 general elections. Many local governments in Nigeria lack many developments, social amenities, health facilities, rural development and power supply due to the syndrome of corruption and autonomy independence to control their resources without the state interference due to that scenario, lack of accountability, lack of credible leadership, instability of political and socioeconomic development as take place. Culture and religion as influenced voting patterns of the electorate during the 2015 Presidential general elections. The impacts of corruption on the politics of the country include the crisis of legitimacy, lack of party ideology, weak political institutions; economic underdevelopment and political violence and the role of “Godfatherism” as initiated electoral corruption. Some power brokers with sufficient financial muscles sponsored their anointed godsons for political offices in return for lucrative contracts and spoils of the public treasury looting. They sponsored thugs, bribed the electoral stakeholders, and influenced voters through vote buying and all sorts of electoral manipulation to ensure that their candidates scale through and control power at all levels. The questionnaire and the structured questions formulated by the researchers were given to project supervisor, who criticized and that the instruments are validated, for they were seen measuring what were expected to measure. Findings revealed that a total number of 30 respondents represented (22.3%) candidate’s choice, 27 respondents represented (20.1%) election campaign, 23 respondents represented (17.1%) family background, while 54 respondents represented (40.2%) religious belief. This implies that majority of the respondents in this study agreed that religious belief is the means by which religion and culture influenced the voting pattern of Akinyele Local Government Area in the 2015 general elections. The study recommends that all candidates contesting for any political office must declare their assets publicly to avoid cases of corruption.

Forecast of Corruption: From Ethical to Pragmatic Considerations

From an ethical standpoint, combating corruption is crucial for promoting justice and equality. The rule of law and ethical governance involves clear standards of behavior for public servants and mechanisms for ensuring these standards are upheld. Corruption undermines public trust in government and democratic institutions and exacerbates social inequality and injustice (disproportionately affects the poor and marginalized groups, denying them access to essential services and opportunities). The fight against corruption during a full-scale war has ethical and purely pragmatic implications for Ukraine, the data of which formed the basis of this study. The lack of tangible progress in the fight against corruption in general, the lack of transparency of many institutional mechanisms in public administration, the revealed corruption schemes in the distribution of international military and humanitarian aid, as well as in the field of public defence procurement, the lack of punishment for corrupt officials in the highest echelons of power threaten the loyalty of international donors and allies, reduce Ukraine’s authority in the international arena, slows down Ukraine’s movement towards the EU, and significantly affects the decisions of foreign partners. The article demonstrates the results of forecasting the future level of corruption in Ukraine (for 2024‒2027) based on the retrospective dynamics of the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International for 1998‒2023. Two economic and mathematical models are used for forecasting: Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), which better reflects long-term historical trends and fluctuations, and the exponential smoothing method, which is more sensitive to the latest values of the time series. The statistical analysis package STATISTICA was used for the calculations. The forecasting results are disappointing since both methods showed an expected decrease in the level of corruption in 2024-2027, but in critically low volumes: by 1 point according to the ARIMA model and by 3-4 points according to the exponential smoothing method. The results of this study can serve as a basis for public advocacy campaigns as an argument for the need to radically revise the existing format of anti-corruption policy in Ukraine given its European future.

From market concentration to political corruption [Book review

First paragraph: The government and the press in the United States tend to define corruption narrowly as the misbehavior of individual politicians. They turn a blind eye to systematic corruption such as, for example, the wealthiest people and corporations using campaign contributions to buy political influence. A politician who takes a cash bribe in exchange for a political favor might be deemed corrupt. In contrast, a politician who derails a piece of legislation after receiving a large campaign con­tribution is operating within the limits of the U.S. campaign laws and is, therefore, not deemed corrupt. . . .

Identity and political corruption: a laboratory experiment

AbstractThis paper explores the role of identity in voters’ decision to retain corrupt politicians. We build up a model of electoral accountability with pure moral hazard and bring it to the lab. Politicians must decide whether to invest in a public project with uncertain returns or to keep the funds for themselves. Voters observe the outcome of the project but not the action of the politician; if the project is unsuccessful, they do not know whether it was because of bad luck or because the politician embezzled the funds. We run two treatments; a control and a treatment where subjects are assigned an identity using the minimal group paradigm. Our main result is that, upon observing a failed project, voters approve politicians of their same identity group significantly more often than in the control and compared to politicians of a different identity group. This is partially driven by a belief on same-identity politicians being more honest. We also observe that subjects acting as politicians embezzle funds less often than expected by the equilibrium prediction.

Taking refuge in melancholy amidst natural landscapes: Zhang Dai’s idle life in the Ming-Qing transition

During the middle to late periods of the Ming Dynasty, the commercial economy experienced striking development, yet political corruption and congestion of the imperial civil service examination system deprived many scholars of a pathway for elevation. Many people therefore opened up new avenues, preparing for the examinations while simultaneously exploring different ways of life, expanding new fields of activity so as to realize value in life. Zhang Dai 張岱, who originated from a great clan in Shaoxing, was one such person. Whilst reading, assembling scholars, critiquing theater, and engaging in other activities, he gradually created considerable renown and achievements for himself. In reviewing Zhang Dai’s life, his inability to enact change in the face of the incoherent society of the late Ming Dynasty was the first great tragedy of his life. He endured by leading a life of pleasure, realizing his ambition of accomplishing great things in a roundabout fashion. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he experienced the second tragedy in his life, which caused him to nostalgically ponder the events of the past and, in his extreme grief, he resorted to the writing brush to express his thoughts and emotions, including writing history to pass on what was left of his life. Throughout his life, Zhang Dai produced many written works, perennially relying upon his writing to make a living, and leisure, extravagance, comfort, sorrow, lamentations and grief for the world all became subjects of his writing, ultimately allowing him to find a different path in life and achieve longevity in academic and cultural history.

Service to demands and corruption tolerance: brazilian voters' perception of “rouba, mas faz” policy

Purpose: The research aimed to verify the influence of meeting public demands on the perception of tolerance of Brazilian voters towards the “rouba, mas faz” policy. Although a social unison of rejection of corruption in politics is perceived, there is a possibility that voters relax this disapproval in the face of the results that managers offer to communities. Methodology: Study of quantitative approach, as for the procedures, a survey was used, with a questionnaire and study of scenarios, of tolerance to “rouba, mas faz”, as a research instrument. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and presentation in percentages were used for the answers to assertions and scenarios. Results: The results indicate that Brazilians demand honest politicians, although for almost 25% of the population every politician is corrupt, without distinction; for 80% of respondents the main cause of problems in Brazilian public management is political corruption; approximately 70% of voters do not use transparency portals to decide their vote, although 80% claim to research the candidates' history before making their decision. Contributions of the Study: Aspects related to the median voter theory were perceived, since, although Brazilian voters demonstrate intolerance to corruption, the profile with the average characteristics of the population tends to vote for that candidate who promises to meet their needs. In addition, in general terms, 7% of the sample would re-elect a very corrupt politician, as long as he is very productive, while 24% would tolerate corruption, as long as it occurs on a small scale and is accompanied by works and benefits to society, implying that there is, in general terms, to a certain degree, the influence of meeting public demands on voters' tolerance of the “rouba, mas faz” policy in Brazil.

Robust Watchdogs, Toothless Tigers, or Kangaroo Courts? The Evolution of Anti-corruption Commissions in Australia

The spotlight has been shone on anti-corruption commissions with the creation of the National Anti-corruption Commission at the federal level in 2023. Despite the importance of these agencies in combating corruption in government, there is relatively little academic research in this area. This article will conduct a historical analysis of the development and evolution of anti-corruption commissions across the Australian federation. It will examine major legislative amendments to Australian anti-corruption commissions from their inception, and the political context in which amendments have occurred, with the goal of determining whether the changes to these bodies are attempts to bolster their function, clip their wings, or protect individual rights. We argue that while principles of independence, accountability and individual protection are important at the level of institutional design, the history and evolution of these bodies reveal the significant and sometimes overwhelming importance of political factors in driving design changes.

Symbolic Elements and Their Connection to Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Depiction of Latin American History

This paper explores the profound impact of symbolic elements in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s works on the depiction of Latin American history and culture through the lens of magical realism. Focusing on key symbols in One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Autumn of the Patriarch, and Love in the Time of Cholera, the study delves into how these symbols enhance the narrative and offer deeper insights into historical and cultural contexts. The analysis reveals how Marquez uses symbols such as the banana plantation, the decaying palace, and the river to critique colonialism, political corruption, and societal upheaval. Furthermore, the paper examines the interplay between reality and fantasy in Marquez’s works and its role in shaping readers’ understanding of historical events and cultural identity. By connecting personal stories with broader historical and cultural themes, Marquez’s symbolism fosters a nuanced and imaginative engagement with Latin American history, encouraging readers to reflect on the complexities and enduring legacies of the region.

Some Cases of Official Corruption in the Yuan dynasty Based on Chinese Sources

During the reign of the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) in China, corruption played a significant role and had a serious impact on the stability of government and social life of the conquered. Corruption was widespread at all levels of administration, including among senior officials, high-ranking officials, and local authorities. This included both Mongol rulers and representatives of the semu, who were the core elements of the officialdom. Corruption exacerbated poverty among ordinary people, as funds allocated for public needs were often redirected to benefit corrupt officials, eroding public trust in the government and the legitimacy of authority. Such a phenomenon heightened anti-government sentiment and served as the main catalyst for social unrest and uprisings. Moreover, corruption resulted in the appointment and promotion of officials not based on their qualifications but rather on personal connections and bribes. This diminished the efficiency of governance, as it did not always ensure that the most qualified individuals occupied key positions. This article offers insight into the phenomenon of corruption during the Yuan dynasty. The author explores the unprecedented level of corruption among officials and its impact on the living conditions of ordinary people in China. The article delves into a considerable number of instances of high-ranking officials’ malpractice taken from primary materials, providing a detailed analysis. This approach allows readers to gain an understanding of the social situation during Mongol rule in China and the role that corruption played in the overthrow of the Yuan dynasty. Social crisis was mostly caused by the employment of dishonest officials and the absence of the representative of the Chinese literati at the officialdom. It is worth mentioning that Kublai Khan (r. 1260–1294) managed to unite the vast expanses of China due to the assistance of Confucian scholars who served him as valuable allies in propagating Chinese values, traditions, as well vital elements of the civil administration.

Mapping the Scientific Research on Sport Governance: Insights from Bibliometric Analysis

The current study aims to highlight the current trends in the literature on sport governance by applying a bibliometric review of papers on sport governance topics published in the Web of Science database. This study reviews 230 Web of Science-indexed journal articles on sport governance and analyzed the data using bibliometric analytic tools such as thematic mapping and co-citation analysis. The findings reveal a notable increase in research on sport governance over time. Over the past three decades, diverse topics within sport governance have been explored, with a significant emphasis on national sport organizations, corruption, gender, leadership, volunteer boards, and collaborative governance. The study identifies gender dynamics and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as emerging key research areas. The results not only contribute to our understanding of current sport governance literature but also point towards potential future research directions. These include the development of a comprehensive framework, exploration of outcome-related governance principles, and the application of governance principles to local and non-European sport organizations and systems.