The world is constantly reminded that corruption knows no geographic boundaries. In South Africa and Malaysia, former leaders are embroiled in court cases involving corruption allegations that already helped remove them from power. A money laundering investigation launched in Brazil in 2008 expanded to take down a vast network of politicians and business leaders across Central and South America. And U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been plagued by officials who have used their offices for private gain and been forced to resign.
The impact of actual corruption is devastating, whether it siphons money from public use or drives policy that is not in the public interest. The effects can be particularly pernicious in developing countries, where budgets are tight and needs are vast. The United Nations estimates that corruption costs $2.6 trillion in losses every year.
But even the perception of corruption is dangerous, undermining people’s faith in government institutions, a phenomenon that is helping to drive a crisis of democracy worldwide. In Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, most governments are seen as corrupt by their own citizens. The rise of populist governments in particular poses challenges. By their nature, populists tend to define themselves against a corrupt elite, which then allows them to weaken institutions and divert attention from their own use of the levers of power to enrich themselves.
WPR has covered corruption in detail and continues to examine key questions about future developments. What role will Trump’s failed promise to “drain the swamp” play in upcoming U.S. elections? Will corruption prompt more electoral backlashes around the world? Will high expectations lead to popular disenchantment when anti-corruption efforts fail? Below are some of the highlights of WPR’s coverage.
From Pakistan to the U.S., Slovenia to Zimbabwe, there are countless stories around the world detailing how corruption has undermined the fight against the novel coronavirus. Clearly, the pandemic is also a crisis of accountability. But it’s not too late for governments to clean up their act.
The Politics of Corruption
Whether in electoral backlashes or popular protests, voters increasingly make their outrage over corruption known. Whether or not they succeed in bringing down tainted governments and leaders depends on a number of factors, ranging from domestic institutions to international support.
How Sierra Leone’s president is turning talk into action on corruption, in In Sierra Leone, Corruption Isn’t Gone, but It Is Falling Under Bio
What a recent case means for the U.K.’s commitment to tackling corruption, in Is the U.K. Finally Getting Serious About Cracking Down on Dirty Money?
Why Peru’s recent elections could complicate its president’s anti-corruption agenda, in Can Vizcarra Push His Reforms Through Peru’s Newly Fragmented Congress?
How targeting corruption abroad could help the U.S. counter its strategic competitors, in Why Fighting Corruption Is Key in a ‘New Era of Great-Power Competition’
The Challenge of Tackling Corruption
As recent revelations of massive corruption have made the issue a high priority for voters, politicians have been quick to capitalize on the appeal of anti-corruption rhetoric on the campaign trail. But once in office, the obstacles to effectively tackling corruption can prove to be persistent, often leading to unfulfilled expectations.
How the specter of corruption affected Guyana’s elections, in A Political Crisis Threatens to Derail Guyana’s Oil Boom
Why a scandal implicating Angola’s former “first daughter” is just the tip of the iceberg, in The Messy Reality of Corruption in Angola Goes Beyond the ‘Luanda Leaks’
What a high-profile murder in Malta says about corruption in Europe, in How the Murder of a Journalist in Malta Exposed Europe’s Corruption Problem
Why a high-profile conviction won’t solve Romania’s corruption problems, in Romania’s Most Powerful Politician Is in Jail, but Its Corruption Fight Isn’t Over
The Backlash Against Anti-Corruption Efforts
In some cases, success in tackling corruption can create its own problems. As entrenched elites find themselves in the crosshairs of effective investigators, they often fight back to protect their ill-gotten privileges. The results can leave institutions weakened and voters disillusioned.
What a government reshuffle means for Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts, in Zelensky’s Government Reshuffle in Ukraine Could Put Reforms at Risk
How damaging leaks could undermine the world’s largest anti-corruption investigation, in Will Operation Car Wash’s Anti-Graft Legacy Survive a Backlash in Brazil?
How Guatemala’s president tried to sink a widely touted anti-corruption commission, in Attempts to Derail an Anti-Corruption Campaign Have Upended Guatemala’s Election
How a successful anti-corruption drive cost El Salvador’s attorney general his job, in El Salvador’s Attorney General Pays a Steep Price for His Anti-Corruption Fight
The Potential Abuses of Anti-Corruption Efforts
Because corruption is universally considered a scourge, it is often easy to mobilize public opinion against it. But that can allow ruthless political leaders to use anti-corruption efforts to purge rivals or crack down on dissent, particularly in authoritarian countries.
Why Vietnam’s anti-corruption crusade is not all good news, in The Costs of Trong’s Crusade Against Corruption in Vietnam
Why Sierra Leone’s opposition is up in arms over an anti-corruption commission, in Is Sierra Leone’s Bio Going After Corruption, or His Adversaries?
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