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Corruption in America

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  • Edward L. Glaeser
  • Raven Saks

Abstract

We use a data set of federal corruption convictions in the U. S. to investigate the causes and consequences of corruption. More educated states, and to a less degree richer states, have less corruption. This relationship holds even when we use historical factors like education in 1928 or Congregationalism in 1890, as instruments for the level of schooling today. The level of corruption is weakly correlated with the level of income inequality and racial fractionalization, and uncorrelated with the size of government. There is a weak negative relationship between corruption and employment and income growth. These results echo the cross-country findings, and support the view that the correlation between development and good political outcomes occurs because more education improves political institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward L. Glaeser & Raven Saks, 2004. "Corruption in America," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2043, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:fth:harver:2043
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    File URL: http://www.economics.harvard.edu/pub/hier/2004/HIER2043.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Olken, Benjamin A., 2006. "Corruption and the costs of redistribution: Micro evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(4-5), pages 853-870, May.
    2. Athanasouli, Daphne & Goujard, Antoine, 2015. "Corruption and management practices: Firm level evidence," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 1014-1034.
    3. Marcel Thum, 2005. "Korruption und Schattenwirtschaft," ifo Working Paper Series No.12, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Russell Sobel & Nabamita Dutta & Sanjukta Roy, 2010. "Does cultural diversity increase the rate of entrepreneurship?," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 23(3), pages 269-286, September.
    5. N. Deyshappriya, 2015. "Do corruption and peace affect economic growth? Evidences from the cross-country analysis," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 17(2), pages 135-147, October.
    6. James E. Alt & David D. Lassen, 2008. "Political And Judicial Checks On Corruption: Evidence From American State Governments," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(1), pages 33-61, March.
    7. Felix, R. Alison & Hines, James R., 2013. "Who offers tax-based business development incentives?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 80-91.
    8. Hailin Chen & Friedrich Schneider & Qunli Sun, 2018. "Size, Determinants, and Consequences of Corruption in China's Provinces: The MIMIC Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series 7175, CESifo.
    9. Abderraouf Ben Ahmed Mtiraoui, 2020. "Corruption between economic institutional aspect and social aspect through governance [La corruption entre l’aspect institutionnel économique et l’aspect social à travers la gouvernance]," Working Papers hal-02535463, HAL.
    10. Dincer, Oguzhan C., 2008. "Ethnic and religious diversity and corruption," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 98-102, April.
    11. Oguzhan C. Dincer & Peter J. Lambert, 2006. "Taking care of your own: Ethnic and religious heterogeneity and income inequality," Working Papers 48, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.

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