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IS CORRUPTION the MAIN REASON FOR the

DOWNFALL OF DEVELOPED NATIONS?

Lakshana kirplani

Global Perspectives, The Cedar School

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Abstract

Corruption is a growing problem especially for third world countries like Pakistan. It is starting

to draw a lot of attention in the past few years though it still isn’t considered as big of a issue as

it actually is because of how normal it has become in one’s everyday life. This paper focuses on

the causes and problems of corruption. To answer this I have researched through verified

websites and my research demonstrates the various reasons how corruption can affect a person

and the country they are living in. For example Pakistan has lost billions of dollars due to

corruption which has affected the lives of local citizens and most have been reduced to poverty

due to the growing inflation in under-developed countries. The study also gives long term

effective measures in order to reduce corruption and effective preventions to stop corruption in

the future.
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How is corruption a global\National issue?

Corruption is the dishonest and fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving

bribery. Corruption compromises future goals of a country, it undermines the resources that

should be used to develop the country, it causes poverty and most importantly it imbalances the

economy which can lead to bankruptcy especially in developing countries. There are a lot of

different types of corruption such as fraud, embezzlement, bribery, extortion, networking and

etc. On a national level the faith people have in the government to work in their best interests is

damaged by corruption. Additionally, it wastes taxes or rates that were set aside for significant

community projects, which means citizens are forced to accept subpar infrastructure or services

or lose out entirely. Pakistan is a third world country and due to the ongoing corruption since

1947 it is being reduced to a possible recession. High inflation is already being seen. “Corrupt
societies are unable to support their citizens,” (Gilman,2020,p.1).

Problems, causes and consequences of corruption.

Corruption typically takes money away from governmental budgets that ought to go toward

advancing human rights. Therefore, it violates a State's commitment under international law to

protect human rights. The impartiality of institutions and procedures is weakened by corruption,

and priorities and policies are distorted. Therefore, corruption undermines the legitimacy of

governments, which results in a decline in popular support and confidence in state and

governmental institutions. The ability of the State to provide pertinent services, such as a

functioning legal system, effective law enforcement, quality healthcare, quality education, and

social services, is impacted by corruption .Among the most common causes of corruption are the

political and economic environment, professional ethics and morality and, of course habits,

customs, tradition and demography. Corruption can lead to economic loss and inefficiency as the

estimated cost of bribery by IMF is 1.5 to 2 trillion dollars per year. Furthermore, investment in
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physical capital and human capital is reduced as resources are diverted from their most beneficial

use. Corruption causes poverty and inequality as the rich stay rich whist the poor suffer in

inflation. It can also cause failure in infrastructure due to the reduced budget in many cases

weakened cement is used to cut corners which has resulted in brutal deaths. The 2016 Panama

Papers leak revealed Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, had engaged in

corrupt behavior. Allegations concerning his family's ownership of properties in Central London

were called into doubt because they all had a muddled financial history. Later, he resigned as

PM. This was a major breakthrough for Pakistani politics as it revealed the ill doings of

politicians in absolute power. From Heads of State, to judiciary and to local police officers,

corruption has found to be present in many areas of Pakistan’s society. To obtain an education,

quality healthcare, expedite administrative processes, or to avoid paying a fine, many people pay

bribes in the form of cash or gifts. But what people only perceive as a means of doing things is

actually illegal. Corrupt officials also enable terrorism, organized crime, and human trafficking.

Something that is so common that everyone seems to be involved in it , is not considered a crime

this is a prime example of what is happening in Pakistan , everyone in one way or another is

involved in corruption from as little as lying to a government official or extortion , they are all

different intensities of corruption. According to Gilman (2020) corruption happens in nickels and

dimes, in pounds and euros, in single denominations, but it happens over and over again, tens of

thousands of times.

Solving corruption

The complex phenomenon of corruption is rarely clearly clarified by a single source.

It would be easy to fix if there was just one singular cause. Some of the many variables that

affect it are more readily altered than others. The battle against corruption must be waged on
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numerous fronts due to the complexity of the phenomenon. It's a battle that can't be overcome in

a few years or even a few months. The most significant mistake that can be made is relying too

heavily on a single strategy, such as raising public sector workers' salaries, stiffening penalties,

or setting up an anti-corruption office, and then expecting quick results. To solve corruption in

the long run close attention needs to be paid to the government and internal affairs, awareness

needs to raised ex. Posters and videos designed for people to raise their voices against

corruption. In Pakistan the highest rate of corruption is carried out by retired or high position

military officers, close attention needs to be paid to them. Anti-bribery & anti-corruption policies

need to be updated, clear boundaries need to be set forth and the local public also plays a major

role in this so citizens of a under developed country need to avoid facilitate payments.

Authentication of sources

The sources used are mostly part of UN and OHCHR official documents and solutions for

human rights. "They starve their children, not only of food but of education and health care.

They're ongoing nightmares." by (Gilman, 2020) clearly states the atrocities happening to

families in under developed countries. All the dates mentioned are articles written within the

span on 3-5 years. Most of the evidence provided is timeless like the solutions as they are

effective in the long term goal of getting rid of corruption. Stuart Gilman who is quoted several

times in the research is a head of UNODC anti-corruption unit and another person quoted is

Daniel Ekirrson who is the chief executive officer for Transparency International Secretariat so

my sources are fairly credible. The statistical part of the research is cross checked from 2-3

different websites to insure a correct estimate for example, In 2021 the corruption rate reported

by Geo news is 28 out of 100 and Dawn news article shows the same figures.

Conclusion
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So to conclude corruption does play a major role in the downfall of under developed nations by

compromising the present and future goals for personal gain. This leads to major problems

regarding a country’s economy and the day to day lifestyle of its citizens in general. However

corruption can be reduced if not completely removed my strict measures and the will of the

people to change their country for good. The case studies used have different Perspectives like

sources from global and national case studies are used so it covers a diversity of view points. A

weakness of the argument might be that some of the sources mentioned are 1-2 years old which

can potentially under-estimate the intensity of the problem now. The authors who wrote the

articles are credible and have high position jobs in their respective field but a weakness of the

argument might be that the government of countries globally is different so the affects and

causes might vary.

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References

Ahmed, A. (2022, January 26). Pakistan slides 16 spots on corruption perceptions index, now

ranks 140 out of 180 countries: report. DAWN.COM.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1671401

Corruption - an inherent element of Democracy in Pakistan? (n.d.-b).

https://www.efsas.org/publications/study-papers/corruption-an-inherent-element-of-

democracy-in-pakistan/

K. (n.d.-a). Anti-Corruption Module 1 Key Issues: Effects of Corruption.

https://www.unodc.org/e4j/zh/anti-corruption/module-1/key-issues/effects-of-

corruption.html

Transparency International. (2022b, February 4). 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index - Explore

the results. Transparency.org. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021

U. (n.d.-d). Countering the global problem of corruption.

https://www.unodc.org/newsletter/200601/page004.html