Loading...
[Global Corruption Report 2007] Explaining Patterns of Corruption in the Russian regions
Dininio, Phyllis Orttung, Robert
Dininio, Phyllis
Orttung, Robert
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Keywords
GE Subjects
Collections
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"Corruption is one of the key problems facing Russia as it seeks to grow out of its socialist past. High levels of corruption pose a serious threat to the establishment of democracy and the creation of a robust, market-based economy. Cross-national indices highlight the severity of the problem, but cross-national data only provide a superficial picture of a country as large and diverse as the Russian Federation. To make up for this shortcoming, TI-Russia and the Information for Democracy Foundation (INDEM) conducted a survey of 40 regions in 2002 that was the first attempt to measure differences in corruption levels across Russia.2 The survey demonstrates that there is extensive variation at the regional level. We analyse these variations in an effort to understand how to reduce corruption in Russia.3 We tested a number of economic and political theories to explain the variation in corruption across Russian regions. The first we examined focuses on level of development. Studies of corruption emphasise the importance of this variable in explaining different levels of corruption across countries, and it may be important in explaining regional differences within a country, too. The second variable we examined is the presence of natural resources, as theory suggests that countries rich in resources face more governance challenges due to greater opportunities for rent seeking. In the political sphere, we examined the size of government since theory suggests that a larger state may engender more corruption because of the greater opportunities for abuse of office. We also look at the imbalance of power between the state and the business sector: theory suggests that levels of corruption increase when there are imbalances of power between these groups because one party has monopoly power over the other.4 Another variable we examine is accountability, which theory suggests will lower corruption levels. We use voter turnout and the level of media freedom as measures for getting at political and civil aspects of accountability."(pg 346)
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Book chapter
Date
2007
Identifier
ISBN
9780521700702
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder