Decentralization and Corruption: The Bumpy Road to Public Sector Integrity in Developing Countries

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 2004

Publication Title

Public Integrity: A Journal of the American Society for Public Administration

Publisher

American Society for Public Administration

Volume

6

Issue

3

Abstract

The relationship between decentralization and corruption has intrigued experts in recent years. Decentralization proponents do not explicitly identify anti-corruption as a goal, but its potential as a tool is attractive to public sector ethicists if the appropriate connection can be shown. This article argues that decentralization of govern- ment can foster civic engagement and public-spirited public administration and promote honesty and accountability. Two major strands in the literature are examined: those that associate decentralization with greater corruption, and those that link it with greater public sector accountability. In the end, the proximity between government and people enabled by decentralization gives administrators and citizens a better opportunity to change public service values while reforming the structure of governance.

Keywords

Developing countries; Local government – Corruption; Public administration – Corruption

Disciplines

International and Area Studies | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Political Theory | Public Administration | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited


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