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Political Concepts
A Working Paper Series of the Committee on Concepts and Methods
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| Michael Johnston, "Measuring Corruption on the Ground," September 2008 |
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| Abstract | The comparative study of corruption frequently relies upon corruption rankings,
compiled in various ways, which rank whole countries in terms of “higher” or “lower” levels of corruption. But these indices not only have a number of methodological problems; they also reflect assumptions that impede comparative analysis. Examples include implicit assumptions that corruption is a national-level property, that it is essentially the same thing everywhere, and that countries vary only in terms of more versus less of it, among other things. I suggest that rather than ranking whole societies on league-table style lists we should focus upon positive values of integrity and accountability, using indicators of government performance gathered with as much citizen involvement as is safe and practical. Such indicators can measure corruption in ways that
are far more detailed, and more sensitive to social values and actually changes in corruption, than any national level index can be. Gathering, analyzing, and acting upon the indicators can also be a good-governance activity in its own right, linking the comparative study of corruption to the concerns that make it important to begin with—namely, freedom, accountability, and justice. |
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C&M
The Committee on Concepts and Methods
International Political Science Association (IPSA)
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