By IANS,
Sydney: Corruption is higher among countries with lower incomes, says an analysis comparing shifting levels of graft in 59 countries over nearly 30 years.
The study by Ron Fischer from the Victoria University of Wellington School of Psychology and master’s student Seini O’Connor challenge the view that there is a culture of corruption in traditional societies, which should import institutions from and emulate the values of low corruption societies.
“Within countries, the one thing that makes a difference over time is wealth. The results suggest we don’t have to modernise societies or change traditional systems to reduce corruption,” says Fischer, according to the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Adds O’Connor: “In low income countries, the poorest people may be stealing or paying bribes to get services because they are desperate, and the rich may be demanding bribes and taking kick-backs on big contracts because they are powerful and can get away with.”
The global study examined data from 1980 to 2008 and is one of the only longitudinal studies that investigates both cultural and economic factors influencing levels of corruption, a university statement said.
Besides income levels (Gross Domestic Product per capita), the researchers compared other factors such as government spending (as in indicator of government size), the voting system and participation rates (as indicators of democracy), and social values.
They also looked at what separates countries with higher and lower levels of corruption. Fischer says they found those which are wealthier value things like quality of life, free expression and tolerance, and have larger governments, tend to be less corrupt.
Larger governments are sometimes thought to provide opportunities for corruption because more people are able to have a “finger in the pie” but the Victoria University research found this wasn’t true.
“We’re looking at whether media coverage of corrupt politicians or police officers, for example, makes the behaviour more palatable,” adds Fischer.