How to fight corruption in countries where favouritism is the norm?

The norm in many poor countries is rather to favour your own family and group. Blueprints from rich countries that do not take local power relations into account, will rarely succeed. Aid donors have for example put too much emphasis on laws and regulations, in countries without law and order and a functioning judiciary.

The question “what is it that causes corruption” is the wrong one, argue the researchers. One should rather ask how countries develop from being “particularistic” – where the rule is to favour your kin – to “becoming Denmark”, i. e. a society where equal treatment of all citizens is the norm. The study argues for the many small steps which gradually reduce the political scope and available resources for corruption. One has to go for reforms that the elite accepts. But that is not sufficient. One should also prioritise efforts that the same elite is unable to neutralise. Improved internet connection works, the researchers find, while new anticorruption commissions quickly become powerless.

Facts:

• The study is Contextual Choices in Fighting Corruption: Lessons Learned
• commissioned jointly by the Evaluation Department and the Anticorruption Project of Norad
• The study was done by the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin.
• It questions existing anticorruption strategies and has recommendations about how the efforts in this area can give more lasting results.