Anti-Corruption Books

Curbing Corruption: Practical Strategies for Sustainable Change

by Bertram I. Spector, London: Routledge, 2022

Many anti-corruption efforts have had only a minimal effect on curbing the problem of corruption. This book explains why that is, and shows readers what works in the real world in the fight against corruption, and why.

Counter-corruption initiatives often focus on the legal, institutional, and contextual factors that facilitate corrupt behavior, but these have had only nominal impacts, because most of these reforms can be circumvented by government officials, powerful citizens, and business people who are relentless in their quest for self-interest. This book argues that instead, we should target the key individual and group drivers of corrupt behavior and, through them, promote sustainable behavioral change. Drawing on over 25 years of practical experience planning, designing, and implementing anti-corruption programs in over 40 countries, as well as a wealth of insights from social psychological, ethical, and negotiation research, this book identifies innovative tools that target these core human motivators of corruption, with descriptions of pilot tests that show how they can work in practice.

Anti-corruption is again becoming a priority issue, prompted by the emergence of more authoritarian regimes, and the public scrutiny of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Straddling theory and practice, this book is the perfect guide to what works and what doesn’t, and will be valuable for policymakers, NGOs, development practitioners, and corruption studies students and researchers.

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Negotiating Peace and Confronting Corruption: Challenges for Post-conflict Societies

by Bertram I. Spector. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2011

Societies emerging from conflict, whose governing institutions typically are weak and inefficient, are particularly susceptible to corruption. Losing factions may use corrupt means to continue a bid for power or redress grievances, and winning factions find new powers to raid state coffers and siphon donor assistance funds. In Negotiating Peace and Confronting Corruption, Bertram Spector argues that the peace negotiation table is the best place to lay the groundwork for good governance. Drawing from six case studies, Spector identifies key ingredients to building integrity into new governments: establishing cease-fires, negotiating future governance and anticorruption reforms, adequate and timely development assistance to implement the reforms, and continuing public participation in postagreement negotiations. The volume assesses the effectiveness of anticorruption measures and outlines best practices to build legitimate criminal justice systems, transparent and accountable legislative and political systems, effective governance practices, independent media, and sustainable economies in post-conflict societies. The author concludes that ending violence through a negotiated cease-fire is not likely, by itself, to be sufficient, but addressing one of the initiating causes of conflict corruption and abuse of power is likely to strengthen the economic, political, and social fabric necessary for long-lasting peace and growth. This volume offers lessons for analysts and practitioners on how to structure negotiations to provide post-conflict societies with a sustainable new beginning.

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Detecting Corruption in Developing Countries: Identifying Causes/Strategies for Action

by Bertram I. Spector. Sterling, VA: Kumarian Press, 2012

Excessive government discretion, bribery and abuse of power for private benefit are widespread phenomena in developing countries. This corruption results in hundreds and thousands of citizens going without the critical public services they are entitled to or rely on. Corruption occurs at all levels of society, from local and national governments, civil society, judiciary functions and small and large businesses alike, leaving little room for a country’s development and economic growth.

To combat corruption in developing countries, policy makers must understand the problem and devise a meaningful strategy that attacks its underlying causes and not just deals with its symptoms. Detecting Corruption merges scholarship on corruption assessments with practical techniques on ways practitioners and policy makers can implement anticorruption assistance. Spector argue that assessments need to adopt a comprehensive “whole of government” approach that examines all key sectors where there are corruption vulnerabilities. Strong accountability/control measures need to be designed and implemented across all sectors into a multidimensional strategy/program.

Detailed case studies from the author's work in Ukraine, Honduras, Senegal and Timor Leste show the effectiveness of the comprehensive approach to corruption.

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Fighting Corruption in Developing Countries: Strategies and Analysis

edited by Bertram I. Spector. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, 2005

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon, but especially plagues developing countries and those in democratic transition. This timely collection presents a sector-by-sector analysis of the problems that stunt economic growth, distort governance, limit civic and democratic participation, and infuriate the populace.

In stark contrast to standard holistic studies of corruption, Fighting Corruption in Developing Countries argues that examining the issue through the lens of nine key development sectors--education, agriculture, energy, environment, health, justice, private business, political parties and public finance--will help us to understand the problem realistically and identify concrete initiatives that are likely to have an impact.

Overall, this book features a sectoral, rather than holistic, approach to examining the dynamics of corruption. It contains lessons from national and international experience on best practices to contain corruption in these sectors. And it offers practical policy considerations to design effective anti-corruption strategies.

The book concludes with practical and policy-oriented suggestions for corruption control that minimize the risk of "recorrupting" forces that often threaten to reverse gains. Students, researchers, and practitioners interested in implementing effective and realistic solutions to fighting corruption will find this book essential reading.

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