Edward Elgar Publishing Corruption in Public Administration: An Ethnographic Approach

Despite the growth in literature on political corruption, contributions from field research are still exiguous. This book provides a timely and much needed addition to current research, bridging the gap and providing an innovative approach to the study of corruption and integrity in public administration. The volume contributors provide insights from nine different countries, all drawing on extensive fieldwork data and following ethnographic methodologies. The topics discussed in this book include: the role of anti-corruption legislation; organizational change and morality; party corruption; socio-cultural dimensions of corruption; clientelism and patronage. Analyzing these topics comparatively, the volume concludes that in countries where public perception of corruption is high, citizens are well aware of the generalized damage of these practices and the loss of trust they cause for public administrations. On the other hand, corruption in public administration takes place following patterns that mirror some of the fundamental social and cultural features that characterize interactions among citizens and institutions. Scholars and students of the fields including public policy, public administration, sociology and anthropology will find this book to be of use to their research and studies. It will also be of interest to policy-makers internationally and public sector practitioners. Contributors include: M. Acar, C. Baez Camargo, E. Denisova-Schmidt, Z.T. Lofranco, N. Luci, R.M. Rivera, R.F Sambaiga, D. Torsello