“Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption

Heywood, Paul M. and Rose, Jonathan (2014) “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption. Journal of Public Policy, 34 (3). pp. 507-529. ISSN 1469-7815

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Abstract

The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention began being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. In reality, we still have a relatively weak understanding of how best to measure corruption and how to develop effective guides to action from such measurement. This paper provides a detailed review of existing approaches to measuring corruption, focusing in particular on perception-based and non- perceptual approaches. We highlight a gap between the conceptualisation of corruption and its measurement, and argue that there is a tension between the demands of policy-makers and anti-corruption activists on the one hand, and the motivations of academic researchers on the other. The search for actionable answers on the part of the former sits uncomfortably with the latter’s focus on the inherent complexity of corruption.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/993605
Additional Information: c2014 Cambridge University Press
Keywords: Corruption, Governance, Indicators, Measurement, Perceptions, Policy
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Politics and International Relations
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X14000099
Depositing User: Heywood, Professor Paul M
Date Deposited: 19 Jul 2016 09:47
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 20:12
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/35048

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