The Struggle Against Corruption: A Comparative Study

Understanding and responding to corruption is a worldwide challenge. This book offers a general overview of the nature, pattern, anddiffering perspectives on political and economic corruption. Providing detail and depth, the book examines and compares corruption infour countries: the United States, Israel, Russia, and India. Each country chapter explores how corruption is defined and understood in that country and provides case material illustrating corrupt practice and responses to it. The country chapters also cover whistleblowing activities, their prevalence, importance, and impact. A comparative analysis presents the most prominent factors contributing to a reduced level of corruption and the factors that lead to whistleblower success.

'This lively and stimulating discussion of combating corruption in four countries is a valuable addition to the growing comparative corruption literature. One of the strengths of this book is its attempt to grapple with elusive definitions of corruption and other ethical concepts. Another is its treatment of the cultural and developmental contexts of corruption in such countries as India and Russia. Yet another is its succinct summary and interpretation of key cases in all four countries, in politics, administration, and business. The Struggle Against Corruption does not pretend to be the last word on this subject, but it will be a good contribution to the expanding global dialogue on corruption.' - William L. Richter, Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University, Co-editor, Combating Corruption/Encouraging Ethics

'A refreshing and engrossing study of the complexities involved in the ubiquitous presence of corruption around the globe (in the USA, Israel, Russia and India) that distorts globalization, jeopardizes stability, and challenges social ethics: it is a must for readers alarmed about a most disquieting feature of contemporary public life and looking not just for explanations but also for

possible solutions.' - Gerald Caiden, Professor of Public Administration, The University of Southern California

'Roberta Ann Johnson and her colleagues give us a very useful overview of where anti-corruption efforts stand after more than a decade of international effort. They do this in the context of an ambitious comparative analysis of four important, yet diverse, cases. The result is a book that helps us understand how corruption is rooted within the societies where it occurs, and how it can vary from one country to another. After years of emphasis on the effects of corruption upon whole economies, this book's focus on individuals, and on how they experience and respond to corruption, is particularly welcome. Anyone interested in corruption and committed to reform will find very useful cases here, along with some analytical ideas deserving serious thought.' - Michael Johnston, Colgate University

ROBERTA ANN JOHNSON is Professor of Politics and Director of the public service program at the University of San Francisco, USA. She is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters and author of Whistleblowing: When It Works - And Why; and Puerto Rico: Commonwealth or Colony?