“Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption
The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerte...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35048/ |
| _version_ | 1848794991310143488 |
|---|---|
| author | Heywood, Paul M. Rose, Jonathan |
| author_facet | Heywood, Paul M. Rose, Jonathan |
| author_sort | Heywood, Paul M. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention began being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. In reality, we still have a relatively weak understanding of how best to measure corruption and how to develop effective guides to action from such measurement. This paper provides a detailed review of existing approaches to measuring corruption, focusing in particular on perception-based and non- perceptual approaches. We highlight a gap between the conceptualisation of corruption and its measurement, and argue that there is a tension between the demands of policy-makers and anti-corruption activists on the one hand, and the motivations of academic researchers on the other. The search for actionable answers on the part of the former sits uncomfortably with the latter’s focus on the inherent complexity of corruption. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:24:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-35048 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:24:59Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-350482020-05-04T20:12:31Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35048/ “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption Heywood, Paul M. Rose, Jonathan The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention began being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. In reality, we still have a relatively weak understanding of how best to measure corruption and how to develop effective guides to action from such measurement. This paper provides a detailed review of existing approaches to measuring corruption, focusing in particular on perception-based and non- perceptual approaches. We highlight a gap between the conceptualisation of corruption and its measurement, and argue that there is a tension between the demands of policy-makers and anti-corruption activists on the one hand, and the motivations of academic researchers on the other. The search for actionable answers on the part of the former sits uncomfortably with the latter’s focus on the inherent complexity of corruption. Cambridge University Press 2014-12 Article PeerReviewed Heywood, Paul M. and Rose, Jonathan (2014) “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption. Journal of Public Policy, 34 (3). pp. 507-529. ISSN 1469-7815 Corruption Governance Indicators Measurement Perceptions Policy http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9363457&fileId=S0143814X14000099 doi:10.1017/S0143814X14000099 doi:10.1017/S0143814X14000099 |
| spellingShingle | Corruption Governance Indicators Measurement Perceptions Policy Heywood, Paul M. Rose, Jonathan “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title | “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title_full | “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title_fullStr | “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title_short | “Close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| title_sort | “close but no cigar”: the measurement of corruption |
| topic | Corruption Governance Indicators Measurement Perceptions Policy |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35048/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35048/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35048/ |