Preface
1 Definitions of political corruption and why study corruption
2 Growth, spread and measurement of corruption
3 The causes and explanations of political corruption
4 The mechanisms and dynamics of corruption
5 Political corruption and organised crime
6 Political corruption and scandal
7 Anti-corruption: prevention and control
8 Corruption in liberal democracies: A case study of Italy
9 Political corruption in Central and Eastern Europe
10 Political corruption in the developing and newly industrialised states

Political corruption is a serious problem. It infringes the rules that define the means of wealth acquisition and the exercise of power, and damages the interests of the advantaged and the disadvantaged alike. For the advantaged wealth cannot be pursued and maintained safely, and for the disadvantaged development is thwarted and resources are redistributed from the poor to the rich.

This book provides an accessible account of current thinking and debates about political corruption. It takes the reader on a journey that begins with what corruption is, why it is important to study and how it can be measured. From there it moves on to explore causes and consequences and how corruption can be tackled. Finally this study examines how these elements are playing out in established liberal democracies, former communist regimes and in what used to be commonly referred to as ‘the third world’. On the way it takes a couple of detours – firstly, to ascertain how the minimum of trust necessary for the corrupt transaction to take place is established and underwritten, and secondly, to survey the phenomenon of scandal, to which corruption may give rise.

The book is offered as an informative ‘travel guide’ of potential interest to journalists and policy-makers as well as to students and academics researching matters on which political corruption has a bearing.