Public Corruption and Fraud in the Netherlands; Research and Results

• NCJ Number: 155347
• Journal: Crime, Law and Social Change Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Dated: (1994/95) Pages: 307-321
• Author(s): L W J C Huberts
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands
• Note: This is a revised version of a paper presented at the Joint Sessions of Workshops of the European Consortium for Political Science Research in Leiden, the Netherlands, April 1993 and the Third International Conference on Ethics in the Public Service, Jerusalem, Israel, June 6-11, 1993.

Annotation

This article presents the conceptual framework, the research strategy, and the empirical results of a survey on local corruption and fraud in the Netherlands.

Abstract

The survey was sent to local government functionaires in 1992, inquiring of them the extent of public corruption and fraud in their jurisdictions. Friedrich's definition of "public corruption" was chosen for the survey. It occurs when "a responsible functionary or office holder is, by monetary or other rewards, induced to take actions which favor whoever provides the reward and thereby damages the group or organization to which the functionary belongs, more specifically the government." To this concept of public corruption was added the concept of fraud. "Public fraud" is "private gain at public expense, damaging the group or organization to which the functionary belongs, without the involvement of external beneficiaries." The first priority in the survey research was to collect information about more serious forms of individual and organized public corruption and fraud. The respondents assessed the seriousness of the cases of corruption or fraud. An additional distinction was presented to the respondents between alleged and actual fraud and corruption. In Dutch cities, the town clerk is the manager of local administration. Some 90 percent of the town clerks stated that the town clerk is informed whenever a case of local public corruption or fraud is seriously investigated. The clerks reported about 123 cases of actual or alleged corruption and fraud during their careers (a total of 653 years). Based on the survey data, the researchers concluded that 102 new cases of alleged and actual local corruption and fraud are being discovered each year. In deciding the seriousness of the problem of Dutch public corruption and fraud, the article advises that this can be determined only by comparing the Netherlands to public corruption in countries with characteristics similar to the Netherlands. Developments that might make public corruption and fraud a problem of increasing importance in the Netherlands are outlined. 14 notes, 4 tables, 26 references, and appended questionnaire