Political Corruption and Governance

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of public money and its political and societal implications. Drawing on evidence from central and eastern Europe, it offers an innovative insight  into public responses to various strategies of public spending. Given that public expenditures are funded mainly from tax revenues, it also assesses public attitudes to politically motivated allocations of funds. The book seeks to identify how people evaluate the material benefits of funding in light of the fairness - or lack thereof - of the distribution process, whether popular acceptance of variations in public spending depends on the framing of the beneficiaries, and the implications of money allocation for political trust in political institutions. 

This book investigates how the actual dynamics of business-state relations work in a democracy and their changes overtime. The focus is limited to one country because access to high-level sources, who are able to openly discuss the nature of the business-politics nexus, cannot be easily replicated. The study is distinctive in a number of ways. First, its focus on politics and business touches upon a number of academic disciplines – business sciences, political science, public policy and administration. Second, it is not limited to a static picture of a relatively new democracy, but instead examines the dynamics of change over the last twenty years. As such, it talks to situations in a number of other countries, especially those in Central and Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. Third, the methodological approach, which combines anonymous interviews, mass media sources, governmental and non-governmental reports, is not very typical and thus provides a relatively fresh perspective on studying such social phenomena. Finally, the study offers original theoretical and analytical frames that can be conveniently applied and tested in other national/regional contexts. These and other features make it a valuable resource in higher education settings, offering a case study at hand, which can be used in courses on corruption, business ethics, democracy, EU studies, areas studies focused on Central and Eastern Europe or the post-Soviet space.    

This book examines anti-corruption policies in Latin America. It compares best practices in public procurement and state budgets in order to provide new insights into policy design for governments, civil society organisations and international organisations engaged in the fight against corruption. The book assesses how a paradigm shift toward transparency in global governance has led to major changes in public policies in the region since the late 1990s. Using Uruguay and Chile as case studies, it then demonstrates the causal mechanisms linking transparency institutionalisation to corruption control. The book also offers recommendations for research and practice about the importance of coherent public accountability systems, that combine citizen oversight over government with government responsibility towards non-state actors. It will appeal to scholars and students of public policy, public administration and governance in Latin America, as well as those interested in political corruption.

This open access book provides an accessible insight into how to tackle corruption in organisations and institutions. It explains how to recognise and analyse corruption issues, together with knowledge and advice on how they can be avoided, prevented, or minimised. It also provides a framework through which readers can examine what strategies are available to tackle corruption issues, a rationale for how to prioritise strategies depending on circumstances and context, and guidance on how to critique various options. The book will appeal to professionals and practitioners, as well as academics interested in governance and corruption.