To purchase book from Amazon.com click here

Fighting Corruption in Developing Countries: Strategies and Analysis

Bertram I. Spector, editor

(Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, 2005) 

Corruption -- a plague affecting all countries -- is especially insidious in developing countries and countries in transition. It infects all aspects of an emergent economy and polity, by stunting the potential for economic growth, distorting governance practices, reducing opportunities for effective civic participation, democratic institutions and processes, and humiliating the populace.   These vulnerabilities can be reversed, but that requires a strong and enduring political will in government to implement a comprehensive program, and the mobilization and commitment of civil society, the business community and mass media to conduct effective oversight and maintain pressure on government over time.

Within a country, corruption often knows no borders: it does not remain localized in particular departments of government, but pervades all functions where citizens and businesses transact with officials.  Thus, the best way to understand the spread of corruption and what can be done to control it is by analyzing its impact sector-by-sector.  International experience has demonstrated that broad anti-corruption programs may have positive, though short-term, effects on the problem while raising public awareness.  However, programs that are highly targeted at vulnerable sectors, for instance, the education or judicial areas, can take hold and be sustained over the longer term.  

This book highlights the sectoral dimensions of corruption in developing countries – how corruption typically impacts each sector and what options exist to reduce corruption effectively based on international experience.   In each chapter, sector experts reflect on the policy decisions that are available to control corruption and the situational constraints that need to be considered. This more differentiated – and realistic – way of looking at anti-corruption decision-making is supplemented in the book by chapters that consider other essential policy considerations – assessing corruption levels and priorities, evaluating the effectiveness of alternate anti-corruption strategies, finding ways to reduce the incentives of corrupt practices, and averting the risk of “re-corruption.” 

This book is structured in two parts.   Part 1 brings together integrative assessments of corruption sector-by-sector: agriculture, education, energy, environment, health, judicial, political, business, and public finance.  Each assessment synthesizes the literature for its sector on where the vulnerabilities are, how corruption typically manifests itself, international experience in dealing with these corruptive situations, and practical remedies. The authors are all specialists who have conducted extensive reviews of barriers to growth in their sectors. 

The book continues in Part 2 with a practical analysis of other policy considerations in developing anti-corruption plans and implementing them.  One chapter examines how policymakers can keep track of what they are doing by measuring corruption -- assessing how bad the problem is, where it is located, and how much of an impact their policies are having.  In another chapter, an innovative analytical approach is used to understand the effectiveness of various strategies under different country situations.  Next, a novel approach is described to help policymakers consider ways of reducing corruptive incentives among public officials. Another chapter addresses the very real risk of  “recorruption:” the possibility that despite all efforts, corruptive forces will reverse gains achieved over time.   A concluding chapter presents an integrative sectoral approach to effective corruption control, addressing some of the opportunities and pitfalls in designing and implementing policy in the development context – from the perspective of a government, civil society, and donors that are supporting such initiatives.