Making Corruption Disappear in Local Government. (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Masters, Adam B.; Graycar, Adam
• Is Part Of: Public integrity. Volume 18:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 42
• Page End: 58
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: corruption -- local government -- bribery -- independent commission against corruption; Civil service ethics -- United States -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States -- Periodicals; Political ethics -- United States -- Periodicals; Civil service ethics -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Periodicals; Political ethics -- Periodicals; Civil service ethics; Political ethics; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects; United States; PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION; CIVIL SERVICE; MORAL ASPECTS; POLITICAL ETHICS; Periodicals; 172
• DOI: 10.1080/10999922.2015.1093400
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1099-9922

Abstract

Abstract : Local government corruption is a phenomenon across the world. This article draws upon survey work in Victoria, Australia, to show that citizens believe that corruption exists in local government and experience it, but rarely report it to an anti-corruption agency or elsewhere. Even when reported, tracing the outcome from state-level authorities to the local government becomes an exercise in futility, because the corrupt act is dealt with in policy frameworks that make it effectively disappear. As a result, corruption as perceived or experienced in the everyday life of citizens is different from what is defined in law and dealt with by public bodies. While the data here are Australian, the lessons and principles can be applied in many other countries.