Making Sense of Corruption

This book provides a systematic analysis of how the understanding of corruption has evolved and pinpoints what constitutes corruption.

Bo Rothstein (Author), Aiysha Varraich (Author)

9781316615270, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 February 2017

184 pages, 3 b/w illus. 5 tables
23.2 x 15.5 x 1.5 cm, 0.31 kg

'Defining the core issue as one of the quality of government and the idea that a non-corrupt government is 'based on the principle of impartiality in the exercise of public power,' [Rothstein and Varraich] relate the theory of corruption to real world problems. This is a small book, dense in its coverage of issues of philosophy, sociology, and political science, but it will probably cause anyone who has glibly used the term to have second thoughts and, hopefully, rethink their core assumptions.' E. V. Schneier, CHOICE

Corruption is a serious threat to prosperity, democracy and human well-being, with mounting empirical evidence highlighting its detrimental effects on society. Yet defining this threat has resulted in profound disagreement, producing a multidimensional concept. Tackling this important and provocative topic, the authors provide an accessible and systematic analysis of how our understanding of corruption has evolved. They identify gaps in the research and make connections between related concepts such as clientelism, patronage, patrimonialism, particularism and state capture. A fundamental issue discussed is how the opposite of corruption should be defined. By arguing for the possibility of a universal understanding of corruption, and specifically what corruption is not, an innovative solution to this problem is presented. This book provides an accessible overview of corruption, allowing scholars and students alike to see the far reaching place it has within academic research.

Preface and acknowledgements
1. Corruption and the relevance of political science
2. Mapping related disciplines
3. The evolution of corruption as a concept
4. Corruption and human rights
5. Corruption and clientelism
6. Corruption and patronage
7. Corruption and patrimonialism
8. Corruption, state capture and political particularism
9. The Chinese exception and alternative
10. In conclusion: what is the opposite of corruption?
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA]