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International Integration and National Corruption

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2003

Wayne Sandholtz and
Mark M. Gray

Abstract

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We argue that greater degrees of international integration lead to lower levels of corruption, which we define as the misuse of public office for private gain. We theorize that international factors affect a country's level of corruption through two principal channels. One acts through economic incentives, altering for various actors the costs and benefits of engaging in corrupt acts. The second mode is normative. Prevailing norms in international society delegitimate and stigmatize corruption. Countries that are more integrated into international society are more exposed to economic and normative pressures against corruption. We therefore test the following hypothesis: the more a country is tied into international networks of exchange, communication, and organization, the lower its level of corruption is likely to be. The analysis of data from approximately 150 countries strongly confirms our expectation.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
International Organization , Volume 57 , Issue 4 , Fall 2003, pp. 761 - 800
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation 2003

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