Corruption, Contention, and Reform: The Power of Deep Democratization

Description

Michael Johnston argues that corruption will persist, and even be the rule rather than the exception, until those with a stake in ending it can act in ways that cannot be ignored. This is the key principle of 'deep democratization', enabling citizens to defend their interests by political means. The author analyses four syndromes of corruption in light of this principle: official moguls in Egypt and Tunisia, oligarchs and clans in the Philippines, elite cartels in Argentina, and influence markets in France, Australia and the US. Johnston argues that different kinds of corruption require distinctive responses, each bearing specific risks. Focusing on recent events, including the global economic crisis and the Arab Spring, he shows that we can assess vulnerabilities to corruption and the effects of reforms, and use this information to identify new practices. His book offers a fundamental reappraisal of ways to check abuses of wealth and power.

Michael Johnston is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science at Colgate University.

'Michael Johnston's Corruption, Contention and Reform is an elegantly written book. Challenging, thoughtful, and provocative; it is an outstanding contribution to the study of corruption, which will be of great interest for scholars and practitioners alike. Johnston builds upon decades spent studying corruption world wide to give us a penetrating analysis of why corruption seems to be so intractable, while also providing us with some hope for the future and concrete ideas of what we may do to control it more effectively.' Luigi Manzetti, Southern Methodist University 'Long neglected, issues about corruption and the quality of government have now become central. Michael Johnston's argument that instead of quick fixes, successful anti-corruption policies must be based on 'deep democratization' is very convincing. This book will be a great source of inspiration for scholars in this important field of research.' Bo Rothstein, University of Gothenburg 'This important sequel builds on Johnston's previous book Syndromes of Corruption to develop reform agendas for his four regimes: official moguls, oligarchs and clans, elite cartels, and influence markets. Although he stresses the diversity of corrupt scenarios, his major innovation is the unifying concept of 'deep democratization', a political structure where citizens can check abuses of wealth and power.' Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale University