Corruption, Anti-Corruption and Governance

The international anti-corruption movement has arrived at a crossroads. Despite a generation's hard work by dedicated and courageous people we have seen many more frustrating outcomes than clear successes. It is difficult to argue that the global system or the societies within it have become significantly less corrupt; indeed, despite innovative attempts at measurement there is no way of knowing overall trends. Global elites increasingly operate everywhere while being held accountable nowhere their powers and privileges often written into laws and policies. In Corruption, Anti-Corruption, and Governance Daniel Hough offers a long-overdue assessment of the corruption control movement and its results. Beginning with the movement's origins, and tracing the evolution of thinking about governance, Hough employs six paired case studies to arrive at a substantively rich assessment of the state of corruption control. The result is not one more 'toolkit' for reformers, but a telling analysis of where the reform movement has been, and what it needs to do in years to come.

Michael Johnston, Department of Political Science, Colgate University, USA