Corruption

Corruption is both a major cause and a result of poverty around the world. It occurs
at all levels of society, from local and national governments, civil society, judiciary
functions, large and small businesses, military and other services and so on.
Corruption affects the poorest the most, in rich or poor nations, though all elements
of society are affected in some way as corruption undermines political development,
democracy, economic development, the environment, peoples health and more.
The issue of corruption is very much inter-related with other issues. At a global
level, the international (Washington Consensus-influenced) economic system that
has shaped the current form of globalization in the past decades requires further
scrutiny for it has also created conditions whereby corruption can flourish and
exacerbate the conditions of people around the world who already have little say
about their own destiny. At a national level, peoples effective participation and
representation in society can be undermined by corruption, while at local levels,
corruption can make day to day lives more painful for all affected.
A difficult thing to measure or compare, however, is the impact of corruption on
poverty versus the effects of inequalities that are structured into law, such as
unequal trade agreements, structural adjustment policies, so-called free trade
agreements and so on. It is easier to see corruption. It is harder to see these other
more formal, even legal forms of corruption. It is easy to assume that these are
not even issues because they are part of the laws and institutions that govern
national and international communities and many of us will be accustomed to itit
is how it works, so to speak. Those deeper aspects are discussed in other parts of
this web sites section on trade, economy, & related issues.
That is not to belittle the issue of corruption, however, for its impacts are enormous
too.
Author And Page Information
by Anup ShahThis Page Last Updated Sunday, September 04, 2011
This page: http://www.globalissues.org/article/590/corruption.

To print all information e.g. expanded side notes, shows alternative links,
use the print version:
http://www.globalissues.org/print/article/590