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Is corruption in China “out of control”? A comparison with the US in historical perspective

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  • Ramirez, Carlos D.

Abstract

This paper compares corruption in China over the past 15years with corruption in the US between 1870 and 1930, periods that are roughly comparable in terms of real income per capita. Corruption indicators for both countries and both periods are constructed by tracking corruption news in prominent US newspapers. Several robustness checks confirm the reliability of the constructed corruption indices for both countries. The comparison indicates that corruption in the US in the early 1870s, when its real income per capita was about $2800 (in 2005 dollars), was 7–9 times higher than China’s corruption level in 1996, the corresponding year in terms of income per capita. By the time the US reached $7500 in 1928, approximately equivalent to China’s real income per capita in 2009, corruption was similar in both countries. The findings imply that, while corruption in China is an issue that merits attention, it is not at alarmingly high levels, compared to the US historical experience. In addition, the paper articulates a theoretical framework within which the relationship between corruption and economic development can be understood. The model is used to explain the “life-cycle” of corruption in the development process–rising at the early stages of development, and declining after modernization has taken place. Hence, as China continues its development process, corruption will likely decline.

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  • Ramirez, Carlos D., 2014. "Is corruption in China “out of control”? A comparison with the US in historical perspective," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 76-91.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:42:y:2014:i:1:p:76-91
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2013.07.003
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    2. Sule Akkoyunlu and Debora Ramella, 2020. "Corruption and Economic Development," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 63-93, June.
    3. repec:zbw:bofitp:2016_018 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Xu, Xixiong & Li, Yaoqin & Liu, Xing & Gan, Weiyu, 2017. "Does religion matter to corruption? Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 34-49.
    5. Zuzana Fungacova & Ilari Määttä & Laurent Weill, 2019. "Corruption in China: What Shapes Social Attitudes Toward It?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 61(3), pages 493-518, September.
    6. Lotta Moberg & Vlad Tarko, 2021. "Special economic zones and liberalization avalanches," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 120-139, February.
    7. Le, Anh-Tuan & Doan, Anh-Tuan, 2020. "Corruption and financial fragility of small and medium enterprises: International evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 57.
    8. Qu, Guangjun & Sylwester, Kevin & Wang, Feng, 2016. "Anticorruption and Growth: Evidence from China," MPRA Paper 72190, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Yi Wen, 2015. "The Making of an Economic Superpower―Unlocking China’s Secret of Rapid Industrialization," Working Papers 2015-6, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    10. Henk J. Steinz & Frank J. Van Rijnsoever & Frans Nauta, 2016. "How to Green the red Dragon: A Start‐ups' Little Helper for Sustainable Development in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(8), pages 593-608, December.
    11. Qu, Guangjun & Sylwester, Kevin & Wang, Feng, 2018. "Anticorruption and growth: Evidence from China," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 373-390.
    12. He, Wenjian & Chen, Xiaoyang & Liu, Zhiyong John, 2022. "Can anti-corruption help realize the “strong” Porter Hypothesis in China? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Määttä, Ilari & Weill, Laurent, 2016. "What shapes social attitudes toward corruption in China? Micro-level evidence," BOFIT Discussion Papers 18/2016, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    14. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Määttä, Ilari & Weill, Laurent, 2016. "What shapes social attitudes toward corruption in China? Micro-level evidence," BOFIT Discussion Papers 18/2016, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corruption; Newspapers; China; US history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries
    • N42 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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