NCJ Number
205834
Date Published
April 2003
Length
66 pages
Annotation
This Canadian study addresses the main theoretical orientations toward political-administrative corruption, recent empirical data on the causes and cost of such corruption in Canada, the identification of emerging trends in this area, and recommended strategies for approaching this problem in Canada.
Abstract
The study consisted primarily of an analysis of all written documents (books, articles, research reports, and institutional reports) on the subject in Canada and abroad over the last 10-15 years. This literature review found disagreement among researchers on the definition of "corruption." For international institutions that have crusaded against administrative-political corruption, the focus has been on developing countries, with little attention to the persistence of such corruption in developed countries. Research into the causes and costs of corruption is not a primary concern or interest in countries like Canada. Contrary to the common tendency to view corruption as a series of actions that can only be identified and understood through logic and the conceptual tools of criminal law, this study advocates viewing it as a two-edged legal phenomenon. As viewed from the perspective of the criminal justice system, "corruption" is the term applied to certain practices that are viewed quite differently from within the normative culture of the institutions where the practices occur. One of the most important findings of this study is the political and legal impact of a new world order that has emerged over the last 10-15 years. The economic interdependence of nations and the practices associated with this interdependence have drawn the attention of international bodies more than it has individual nations, resulting in the proliferation of international legal instruments and "lobbying" operations of international and regional bodies. The impact of this largely symbolic international effort to counter corruption has not been clearly assessed at the national level. The key finding of this study with respect to Canada is the extreme lack of data on the many facets of political-administrative corruption. This study proposes the creation of a multidisciplinary corruption research program that will be composed of a number of separate studies. The results should be integrated into a substantial and detailed report on the state of corruption in Canada. A 252-item bibliography and appended table that shows the "corruption perceptions Index" for 11 developed countries.