The Political Aspects of

Corruption

Bill Tupman
University of Exeter
 Overview
• Who corrupts?
• Who is corrupted?
• How?
• What conditions
facilitate corruption?
• Corruption and
business practice
• Cultural differences
 Who corrupts?

• Multinational corporations
• Organised crime
• Government officials
• Relatives
• Friends
 Targets

• Personnel
• Profits
• Product
• Process
• Perimeter
• Popularity/ public image
• Plans
 Who is corrupted

• Underpaid
• unappreciated
• underpromoted
• greedy
• deviant
 How?

• Buy my guns and I’ll give you a percentage

• make a policy decision in my favour
• don’t offer contracts to open competition
 Cultural differences

• Your “corruption” is my “normal business

practice”
• Your “bribe” is my “mark of respect”
• Guanxi: networking or insider dealing?
• Patron-client relations