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The Corruption of a State

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  • Dobel, J. Patrick

Abstract

This article presents a theory of corruption which unifies the moral, political, economic and social causes and patterns of corruption in one theoretical framework. The theory is constructed from the scattered insights about the “corruption of the body politic,” building in particular upon the work of five theorists–Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli and Rousseau. Corruption is defined as the moral incapacity of citizens to make reasonably disinterested commitments to actions, symbols and institutions which benefit the substantive common welfare. This extensive demise of loyalty to the commonwealth comes from the interaction of human nature with systematic inequality of wealth, power and status. The corruption of the polity results in certain identifiable patterns of political conflict and competition. The central feature of these patterns is the emergence of quasi-governmental factions and an increasingly polarized class system. The politics of the factions leads to an undermining of the efficacy of the basic political structures of the society and the emergence of systematic corruption in all aspects of political life. The theory advanced in this article identifies several crucial prescriptions to stave off the tendency towards corruption. Among these are an extension of maximum substantive participation by all citizens in all aspects of political life and a stringent control over all sources of great or permanent inequality in the polity.

Suggested Citation

  • Dobel, J. Patrick, 1978. "The Corruption of a State," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 72(3), pages 958-973, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:72:y:1978:i:03:p:958-973_15
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    Cited by:

    1. Ugochukwu Basil, 2011. "The Pathology of Judicialization: Politics, Corruption and the Courts in Nigeria," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 4(3), pages 59-87, September.
    2. Mevliyar Er, 2008. "Corruption from the Islamic perspective : Some Recommendations for the MENA Region," Post-Print hal-03892300, HAL.
    3. Mevliyar Er, 2008. "Corruption from the Islamic perspective," Post-Print hal-03892298, HAL.
    4. Mauro, Sara Giovanna & Cinquini, Lino & Pianezzi, Daniela, 2021. "New Public Management between reality and illusion: Analysing the validity of performance-based budgeting," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(6).
    5. Oguzhan Dincer & Michael Johnston, 2020. "Legal corruption?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 184(3), pages 219-233, September.
    6. Ilufoye Sarafa Ogundiya, 2011. "Beyond the “Geography of Terrorism and Terror of Geography†Thesis," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 27(1), pages 57-91, March.
    7. George Economakis & Yorgos Rizopoulos & Dimitrios Sergakis, 2010. "Patterns of Corruption," Post-Print halshs-01968240, HAL.
    8. Jang, Hyunseok & Joo, Hee-Jong & Zhao, Jihong (Solomon), 2010. "Determinants of public confidence in police: An international perspective," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 57-68, January.
    9. Maciej Tymiński & Piotr Koryś, 2002. "Corruption. A Review of Selected Conceptions," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 6.

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