NCJ Number
58527
Date Published
1978
Length
82 pages
Annotation
BOTH SCHOLARLY WORKS AND POPULAR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES ARE USED TO DRAW A PICTURE OF CORRUPTION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, TO ANALYZE ITS CAUSES, AND TO EXAMINE THE STRATEGIES PROPOSED OR IMPLEMENTED TO CONTROL IT.
Abstract
THE ANALYSIS IS BASED ON THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, WHICH CONTAINS MORE THAN 400 WORKS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1960 AND 1976. A SPECIAL SECTION CONTAINS 115 REFERENCES PUBLISHED BEFORE 1960. BECAUSE THE PUBLIC IS MORE INTERESTED IN LARGE SCANDALS, NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS FOCUS ON CORRUPTION INVOLVING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY OR MAJOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THE LITERATURE EXAMINES BOTH MAJOR CORRUPTION AND DAILY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PETTY CORRUPTION. ACCORDING TO THE LITERATURE, CORRUPTION IS MORE COMMON IN CITIES GOVERNED BY A POLITICAL MACHINE, BUT NO REASON IS GIVEN FOR THIS RELATIONSHIP. A FEW SURVEYS INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC OPINION AND CORRUPTION. THESE SURVEYS FOUND THAT MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER LOCAL CORRUPTION TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM (THE PERCENTAGES VARY ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY USED AND THE CITY TESTED). THE PUBLIC TOLERATES CORRUPTION BECAUSE IT IS SEEN AS AN EXTENSION OF ILLEGAL PRIVATE BEHAVIOR. THE LITERATURE ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CORRUPTION IS POORLY DEVELOPED BUT TWO CONCEPTS ARE POTENTIALLY USEFUL--DEPRIVATION AND SOCIALIZATION. SINCE CORRUPTION IS MORE FREQUENT WHEN PERCEIVED BENEFITS OUTWEIGH ANTICIPATED RISKS OF DETECTION AND PUNISHMENT, MOST OF THE SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTROL FOCUS ON REDUCING OPPORTUNITY AND INCREASING DETECTION. INCREASING PUBLIC SENSITIVITY IS ALSO RECOMMENDED. (GLR)