Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Query
Are there any good and recent studies on the correlation between corruption and
inequality?
biased tax system, and lower levels and of clinics (Azfar and Gurgur 2005). Some studies
effectiveness of public spending. have concluded that investing more funds in social
programmes will not bring the intended results
Income distribution is often linked in the literature unless corruption is addressed (Suryadarma
to sustainable development and social welfare. In 2012). A study on corruption and income inequality
a sample of 110 countries between 1996 and 2007, in Africa suggests that the well-being of the majority
Aidt (2010) found that high cross-national levels of of citizens in African countries could be enhanced
perceived and experienced corruption significantly by a corruption-free use of domestic resources
reduce growth in genuine wealth per capita, which without recourse to asking for external aid
suggests the negative interference of corruption to (Gyimah-Brempong 2001).
sustainable development. Studies also show that
an increase in corruption increases the Gini Although several studies provide evidence of how
coefficient of income inequality in contexts as corruption might increase inequality, an empirical
diverse as Africa (Gyimah-Brempong 2001) and study on Latin America concludes that, in the Latin
the US (Dincer and Gunalp 2008). This is explained American context at least, lower corruption is
by the fact that the likely beneficiaries from associated with higher income inequality (Dobson
corruption are well connected, and often have and Ramlogan 2009). One of the reasons for this is
higher incomes, which undermines the capacity of the existence of a large informal sector in Latin
the government to ensure a more equitable America, composed in great part by the poorest,
distribution of resources. Another way in which and to which anti-corruption policies will impose an
corruption creates unequal wealth distribution is by important cost.
creating a biased tax system favouring the rich and
well connected (Gupta et al. 2002). The facilitation Corruption and aid flows
of tax evasion through corruption affects a The literature offers opposing hypotheses
government’s ability to collect taxes and to fairly regarding the relationship between corruption and
distribute the wealth. Moreover, this situation might aid. Some studies suggest that aid can help to
create a pressure on the system that might foster reduce corruption by improving governance and
future progressive taxation to compensate for the institutional reforms, and by rebuilding civil society.
inequalities caused by corruption. In turn, such This argument is supported by the fact that bribes
compensatory measures might motivate the elites are often related to low wages and to the capacity
to intensify behaviours to evade those tax to create stable and efficient institutions which
increases through political corruption and buying would help reduce the incentives and opportunities
influences, thus creating a vicious cycle. These for bribery (Van Rijckeghem and Weder 2001).
dynamics make the poorer more vulnerable to Similarly, Tavares (2003) found that an increase of
corruption and less able to demand accountability 1% of aid inflows reduces corruption by 0.2 points.
(Chêne 2014).
Other studies, however, argue that the flow of
Finally, there is an argument that the increased money increases the opportunities for corruption
inequality caused by corruption worsens the (Asongu 2012; Knack 2001; Alesina and Weder
position of the poorest in society by reducing the 2002). In a study on the influence of aid on the
resources available for social spending. In addition, quality of governance in a sample of 80 countries
corruption might have a negative impact on the over the period 1975-1995, Knack (2001) finds that
quality and quantity of public services, such as aid is a rent for the recipient country and that gives
education and health services. A study of the the countries the ability to bear the cost of ruling out
Philippines shows that corruption affects education institutional reforms. In this sense, he concludes,
outcomes by reducing test scores, lowering school aid would foster corruption. Similarly, Svensson
rankings and reducing satisfaction ratings (Azfar (2000) states that aid might enhance corruption,
and Gurgur 2005). In public health services, particularly in ethnically fragmented countries.
corruption is proven to be responsible for the delay
in the provision of treatments, increasing the Bräutigam and Knack (2004) add that a high
waiting times for patients and discouraging the use dependence on foreign assistance reduces
incentives for governments to collect revenues projects. Using the corruption index for over 100
from taxation and to be accountable. As a result, countries for the period 1982 to 1995, Paolo Mauro
aid might not only foster corruption but it might also (1998) published the first cross-country evidence of
decrease the quality of governance, based on the corruption’s effect on the composition of
study of 32 sub-Saharan countries between 1977 government expenditure and, based on the data
and 1982. Alesina and Weder (2002) analysed aid analysed, its particular impact on education
flows and corruption in a sample of 63 countries spending.
between 1981 and 1995 and found that there was
no evidence that increased aid could be associated Two reasons are given to explain why some
with a decline in corruption. sectors are more susceptible to corrupt behaviour
than others. The first is that rent-seeking is
A few studies have attempted to offer specific motivated where there are rents. Thus, high-
explanations for the contradictory findings in the technology inputs to be provided by oligopolistic
study of aid and corruption. According to Dalgaard suppliers, such as international trade in military
and Olsson (2008), the effect of aid on corruption, craft, will be preferred over less lucrative activities,
and vice versa, depends on the amount of aid: low such as education (Mauro 1998). Second, as
levels of aid are more successful at reducing Mauro puts it, the need for secrecy when
corruption. Charron (2011) confirms that bilateral performing acts of corruption requires the selection
aid has no significant effect on levels of corruption of sectors where the exact value is difficult to
and that multilateral aid began to decrease measure. Another explanation for the diversion of
corruption from 1997 onwards. public expenditure due to corruption is weak
institutional controls and, in particular,
Based on data from 1995 to 2009, Okada and undeveloped auditing institutions (Tanzi and
Samreth (2012) found that aid helps to reduce Davoodi 1997).
corruption when it is allocated by multilateral
agencies, rather than in a bilateral way, and in Mauro’s conclusions were recently supported in a
countries already working to fight corruption. study using data from 21 OECD countries for the
Another difference highlighted by Asongu and period 1998 to 2011 (Jajkowicz and Drobistzova
Jellal (2013) is that when aid goes through public 2015). The authors show that, due to corruption,
consumption, corruption tends to increase due to government expenditure on defence and general
the possibility of rent-seeking behaviour from public public services increased, while public expenditure
officials; however, when aid is targeted to private on education, health, culture and religion declined.
investment, corruption decreases. The implication of this corrupt practice on
inequality, especially when the sector most
In a recent study on the causality between aid and affected is education, is the prevention of economic
corruption on a dataset of 71 developing countries growth considering the positive relationship
over the period 1996 to 2009, Menard and Weill between investing in education and economic
(2015) found no significant relationship between development.
both variables and argued that aid does not
influence corruption and, equally, corruption levels
do not influence incentives of donor countries to 3. Corruption as a consequence of
allocate aid. In any case, the diversion of aid flows inequality
due to corruption prevents their intended use for
Research shows that, in certain circumstances,
development and the reduction of poverty and
inequality might foster corruption (Uslaner 2008;
inequality.
You and Khagram 2005). In some cases, inequality
intentionally motivates corruption behaviour in
Corruption and public expenditure order for a group or individual to protect their
The literature acknowledges that corruption and privileges. In other cases, inequality happens to be
rent-seeking may affect the allocation of public
resources by distorting public officials’ incentives
and diverting public spending towards lucrative
a factor that in different ways facilitates certain more equal distribution of income and wealth. In
forms of corruption. the Philippines the land reform failed, the landed
oligarchy maintained its power and the high
inequality remained. These differences in the levels
Elite capture of political processes and
of inequality in each country after the land reform
clientelism
created class structures with different impact in the
Often, corruption is perceived as a function of levels of corruption. In the Philippines the elite had
motivations and opportunities. In the face of strong motivation to capture the state and protect
increasing inequality, society is likely to react by their interests due to continue popular demand for
demanding redistribution of income and higher land reform. In Korea and Taiwan, the equalizing
levels of progressive taxation (Meltzer and Richard effect of the land reform reduced power landed
1981). As the redistribution pressure rises, elites interests and incentives for state capture and
will have a stronger motivation to buy political clientelism.
influence and exercise political corruption to
influence decision making in an attempt to preserve
their privileges (Glaeser, Scheinkman, and Shleifer Inequality as an “unintentional” facilitator
2003). According to some studies, this effect of of corruption
inequality on motivating corruption is greater in The literature offers different scenarios in which
more democratic societies (You and Khagram inequality might unintentionally promote corruption.
2005). According to Kaufmann and Vicente (2005), Some studies highlight the fact that the poor are
political corruption or lobbying to ensure legal more vulnerable to extortion and less able to hold
processes aimed at private gain, what the authors authorities and elites to account. Uslaner and
call ‘legal corruption’, is more likely to arise when Rothstein (2014) explain this vulnerability in terms
there is low inequality, high (initial) income and of education levels: more educated societies
accountability –understood by the authors as provide citizens with a greater ability to reduce
population’s awareness of corruptible behaviour by corruption. In turn, more equal societies are
the elite- is low. In the same economic conditions, potentially more educated societies too, since
if accountability is high, a successful insurrection economic inequality is shown to be a variable with
would surface and there is nothing the elite can do significant negative influence on the establishment
to stay in power, so not even legal corruption may of broad based education. Another way in which
arise. However, when there is high inequality and inequality might facilitate corruption is by affecting
the income is low, which implies that the population social norms and beliefs about corruption. In this
might not have the power to threat the elite with a sense, You and Khagram (2005), in a cross-
successful insurrection, the elite opts for cheapest country statistical study of 129 countries, argue that
illegal forms of corruption (Kaufmann and Vicente inequality adversely affects people’s beliefs about
2005). the legitimacy of rules and institutions, increasing
their level of tolerance of corruption. In many
An empirical example of capture and clientelism societies, even if corruption is publicly condemned,
motivated by the potential consequences of its persistence is facilitated by high levels of
inequality on higher redistributive pressures is tolerance of corrupt behaviour.
provided by You (2014) in his comparative study of
land reform between South Korea, Taiwan and the An alternative way in which inequality might
Philippines. The author finds that the success in facilitate corruption is revealed by a field
Korea and Taiw and failure in the Philippines of experiment that examines the way in which police
land reform was determined by exogenous factors officers in major Latin American cities respond to
such as the communist threat from North Korea citizens’ perceived wealth when requiring a bribe
and China and the pressures from the United (Fried, Lagunes and Venkataramani 2010). The
States for land reform to eliminate elite control over authors suggest that citizens perceived wealth
the land, in response to communist efforts to win influences officers’ propensity to solicit bribes and
the support of peasants. Land reforms in Korea and the size of them. They find that officers are more
Taiwan dissolved the landed elite and produced a likely to target lower class individuals when asking
for a bribe because they associate wealth with the Corruption Movement’ Been Effective?” The
capacity to exact retribution. Developing Economies 49 (1)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-
1049.2010.00122.x/epdf
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