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“Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption

Heywood, Paul M.; Rose, Jonathan

Authors

Jonathan Rose



Abstract

The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention began being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. In reality, we still have a relatively weak understanding of how best to measure corruption and how to develop effective guides to action from such measurement. This paper provides a detailed review of existing approaches to measuring corruption, focusing in particular on perception-based and non- perceptual approaches. We highlight a gap between the conceptualisation of corruption and its measurement, and argue that there is a tension between the demands of policy-makers and anti-corruption activists on the one hand, and the motivations of academic researchers on the other. The search for actionable answers on the part of the former sits uncomfortably with the latter’s focus on the inherent complexity of corruption.

Citation

Heywood, P. M., & Rose, J. (2014). “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption. Journal of Public Policy, 34(3), https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X14000099

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 19, 2013
Online Publication Date Apr 9, 2014
Publication Date Dec 1, 2014
Deposit Date Jul 19, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Public Policy
Print ISSN 0143-814X
Electronic ISSN 1469-7815
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 34
Issue 3
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X14000099
Keywords Corruption, Governance, Indicators, Measurement, Perceptions, Policy
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/993605
Publisher URL http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9363457&fileId=S0143814X14000099
Additional Information c2014 Cambridge University Press

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