Government Corruption

One in four people seeking to use a public service are forced to pay a bribe to receive access, according to the Global Corruption Barometer released by Transparency International.¹ Six in every ten people around the world cite their government as inadequately resisting or fighting corruption.² The Middle East and North Africa had the lowest citizen ratings. Yemen, Madagascar, Ukraine, Gabon, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova’s citizens report the lowest perceptions of their respective governments. Nations whose citizens reported the highest perceptions of their government’s ability to resist corruption are Thailand, Indonesia, Honduras, Guatemala, Botswana and Ecuador.³ Police and elected government representatives were viewed as the most corrupt parties, with 36 percent of respondents citing that “most” or “all” police officers and elected officials were corrupt.⁴ Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands had the highest view of the public sector, while Moldova, Yemen, Lebanon, Liberia and Venezuela had the lowest perception of the public sector.⁵ The European Union had the lowest bribery rate, 9 percent. In comparison, one in every three people in the Commonwealth of Independent States in Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa had to pay a bribe to receive a public service within the last twelve months — Latin America, the Caribbean and were not far behind with 29 and 28 percent averages.⁶ Politically connected firms in Russia account for nearly 80 percent of market capitalization, and in the United Kingdom politically connected firms account for 40 percent of market capitalization.⁷ Lobbying expenses in the United States amount to $200,000 per legislator and rise each year.⁸ Over 50 percent of OECD executives admitted using their personal and familial contacts to garner public contracts in non-OECD countries.⁹