This volume together scholars specializing in different parts of the world to give us a comparative understanding of the persistence of corruption in some societies. The reader is privileged to learn from the many global variations that are skilfully presented for further analyses. Corruption is a salient feature of human condition in any organized society. Further, where risks are low and the returns high, corruption is almost inevitable. Apart from this, traditional public behaviour comes precariously close to what in the West might amount to corrupt practices. Bureaucratic corruption should be understood in the light of a clash of morality on the one hand and legality on the other. There is a contradiction between traditional values, which are held in respect and are a part of everyday life of a people, and norms of the larger society which stand out as compelling forces. The idea of the modern division between the public and private office is alien to a traditional culture and corruption finds space when this division is not strictly observed. Seven essays in this volume cover a range of countries which include India, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia. As the essays unfold themselves, the problem of corruption takes on an added dimension, that of a legacy left behind by colonialism. Please note: This title is co-published with Social Science Press, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Corruption undermines many outcomes across development sectors, yet little is known about how social norms drive corruption or undermine anticorruption efforts in sector work. The conservation sector is no exception. The current study examined corruption and social norms related to infrastructure investments and site planning decisions and their subsequent effect on conservation outcomes. The study focused on the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, one of four protected areas under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscapes (SIBOL) project in the Philippines, implemented by RTI International. Based on a site visit, key informant interviews, and extensive document analysis, our findings elucidate a unique governance structure that enabled project partners to navigate the significant corruption risks present. Direct social norms were not found to be driving corrupt decision making. However, indirect norms played a role by dictating inaction or silence—powerful behaviors—in the face of abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. Our analysis highlights the challenges and importance of having practitioners clearly define and understand what they mean by “corruption” as well as the importance of undertaking a systems analysis that incorporates the influence of social norms on behaviors within that system.

Irish political life has experienced great turmoil in recent years because of the scale and intricacy of political corruption being uncovered by parliamentary and quasi-judicial inquiries. There is genuine popular amazement and growing cynicism towards the seemingly never-ending wave of scandal and attendant tribunals. To understand political corruption in Ireland, this pamphlet examines the concept within a political-science analytical framework that allows both historical and international comparison. The book challenges the current explanations of political corruption, particularly those that stress a turning away from a political "golden age" in the 1960s "Understanding Political Corruption in Irish Politics" chronicles political scandals in the 1990s, looks at their causes and explains their consequences. It also suggests reform strategies that will reduce the incentives drawing politicians towards corruption and increase the likelihood and expense of being detected.

Graycar and Prenzler present a readily accessible guide to the issues of public and private sector corruption, outlining the nature and dimensions of corruption problems in a variety of settings across the world, and providing a set of practical strategies to prevent corruption that also facilitate economic growth and development.

The volume includes comparative and comprehensive discussions on anti-corruption policies of governments and anti-corruption agencies across Europe. Compared to existing literature that focuses either on general and theoretical aspects related to corruption or on country-specific experiences, this volume provides an interdisciplinary and broad overview of corruption prevention policies and measures undertaken by major European member states, relying both on literature and on institutional documentation of national anti-corruption agencies, which greatly contribute to shaping anti-corruption policy directions. In so doing, it advances the existing theoretical agenda of corruption studies and policies, situating it within wider disciplinary fields. This volume is especially concerned with the interrelationship between good administration, integrity, ethical behaviour and corruption; the role of transparency and digitalisation in preventing corruption and ensuring rights, efficiency and impartiality in the public administration; the measurement of corruption, with specific reference to preventative measures and indicators of administrative anti-corruption efforts; big data, block chains, and artificial intelligence; public management codes of ethics, performance targets and skills, and their role in tackling and preventing corruption; and public procurement, transparency and anti-bribery measures in the European public procurement system. This volume is of interest to graduate students and researchers in political sociology, political science, European corruption law, international relations, public policy, and social statistics.

Since the early 1990s, a series of major scandals in both the financial and most especially the political world has resulted in close attention being paid to the issue of corruption and its links to political legitimacy and stability. Indeed, in many countries – in both the developed as well as the developing world – corruption seems to have become almost an obsession. Concern about corruption has become a powerful policy narrative: the explanation of last resort for a whole range of failures and disappointments in the fields of politics, economics and culture. In the more established democracies, worries about corruption have become enmeshed in a wider debate about trust in the political class. Corruption remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention started being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. This Handbook provides a showcase of the most innovative and exciting research being conducted in Europe and North America in the field of political corruption, as well as providing a new point of reference for all who are interested in the topic. The Handbook is structured around four core themes in the study of corruption in the contemporary world: understanding and defining the nature of corruption; identifying its causes; measuring its extent; and analysing its consequences. Each of these themes is addressed from various perspectives in the first four sections of the Handbook, whilst the fifth section explores new directions that are emerging in corruption research. The contributors are experts in their field, working across a range of different social-science perspectives.

Corruption regularly makes front page headlines: public officials embezzling government monies, selling public offices, and trading bribes for favors to private companies generate public indignation and calls for reform. In Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know®, renowned scholars Ray Fisman and Miriam A. Golden provide a deeper understanding of why corruption is so damaging politically, socially, and economically. Among the key questions examined are: is corruption the result of perverse economic incentives? Does it stem from differences in culture and tolerance for illicit acts of government officials? Why don't voters throw corrupt politicians out of office? Vivid examples from a wide range of countries and situations shed light on the causes of corruption, and how it can be combated.

In global development, corruption entangles many societies, most observably in the vulnerable fabric of developing nations. Examining Corruption and the Sustainable Development Goals unravels the layers of this persistent challenge, meticulously examining its pervasive influence on pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This book ventures into the heart of corruption's impacts, spanning economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions. Corruption, manifesting in insidious forms such as bribery, embezzlement, and nepotism, casts a daunting shadow over the integrity of public institutions, eroding public trust crucial for sustainable development initiatives. This book explores case studies, robust theoretical frameworks, and insightful policy perspectives. It is tailored for an audience within the academic research community, scholars, researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners thirsty for an understanding of the complex interplay between corruption and sustainable development in the developing world.