POLC38H3 Chapter Notes -Electoral Fraud, Oligarchy, Extortion
Document Summary
The fall of communism ended the cold war and with it the geopolitical utility of a wide range of corrupt regimes. Following political and economic transition involved a lot of corruption when aid agencies came under pressure to do more with less. Transparency international launched as a worldwide anticorruption coalition. Bribery and extortion are the most common forms of corruption. Influence markets involve efforts by wealthy interests and individuals to shape specific policies, often by channelled funds to elected officials and party leaders who act as middlemen between business and bureaucrats. Elite cartels are extended, interlocking networks of political, bureaucratic, business, military and media elites sustained by sharing corrupt rewards and maintained as a way to stave off political competition; italy, south korea and botswana are examples. Oligarchy and clans dominate the rapidly changing, sometimes chaotic politics and economies of societies where liberalization has been extensive and institutions are very weak ex.