Corruption in Europe

Abstract

Corruption is a major problem in the world and in the entire Europe. It represents a widespread phenomenon and a problem faced by all countries of the world, and the low number of cases in which corruption was eradicated leads to the conclusion that this scourge is a persistent one, once installed being hard to be eliminated.

The paper sought to determine how the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has evolved in Europe and to carry out an analysis of the corruption level in relation to the development level of a country, and in relation to the level of poverty, inequality and social exclusion recorded in 2010-2016.

The research aims at detecting how the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) evolved during 2010-2016 in the countries of Europe as well as the analysis of the Corruption Perceptions Index in relation to GDP per capita and social exclusion as a predictor of corruption.

The objective of this paper is to show the close link between the Corruption Perceptions Index and the level of poverty or social exclusion, in order to confirm the hypothesis that the poverty or social exclusion it is a much stronger predictor of corruption level than GDP per capita as the measurement of a country's level of development.

JEL Classification: C40, D12, O12

 

Table of content

1. Introduction

2. Problem Statement

3. Aims of the research

4. Research Methods

5. Findings

6. Conclusions

 

1. Introduction

Corruption is the abuse of power entrusted for private interest. As Johnston (2007) points out, there are many types of corruption, depending on the political, economic and local cultural contexts of different states, and this phenomenon not only that it affects the state’s efforts to recover the financial status and their poverty countermeasures, but it erodes democracy and leads to society degradation and to contrasting wealth or power distributions.

In the European Union “corruption continues to be one of the biggest challenges, a phenomenon which costs the EU economy approximatively 120 billion euros annually”, is shown in a European Commission release (European Commission, 2014).

The definition of corruption from an economic perspective gives us an explanation for the much higher incidence and the much higher level of rules regarding public integrity violation in poor or transition countries towards democracy and market economy, where the resources are fewer, public official salaries are lower and law enforcement systems are less effective, the likelihood of the offender being punished being less likely. (Radu, L. and Gyula, G., 2010)

Defining and establishing the magnitude of this phenomenon is in the attention of Transparency International, which conducts researches and periodical surveys elaborating reports with comparative results in order to identify the dynamics of the Corruption Perceptions Index in the countries included in the research.

The research starts from the premise that analysing the evolution of corruption perceptions in Europe is important in the present context for understanding and combating the phenomenon.

It is relevant to relate the Corruption Perceptions Index to the poverty level of the population or social exclusion, as we have started from the hypothesis that this indicator is a stronger predictor of corruption level than GDP per capita as the measurement of a country’s level of development. In this respect we have analysed how the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) evolved during 2010-2016 in the countries of Europe as well as the analysis of the Corruption Perceptions Index in relation to GDP per capita and social exclusion as a predictor of corruption.

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Contributo selezionato da Filodiritto tra quelli pubblicati nei Proceedings “International Conference on Economics and Social Sciences – Challanges and Trends in Economic and Social Sciences Research - 2018”

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Contribution selected by Filodiritto among those published in the Proceedings “International Conference on Economics and Social Sciences – Challanges and Trends in Economic and Social Sciences Research - 2018”

To buy the Proceedings click here:

http://www.filodirittoeditore.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=67&product_id=149