According to several indexes of corruption, Italian society is strongly affected by this negative phenomenon. This paper investigates the determinants of corruption in Italy in the period 1963-2001 through the use of statistics on crimes against public administration at a regional level. After a review of the international literature on the likely economic, political and cultural causes of corruption, the paper examines the last forty years and puts forward some hypotheses concerning the effects of economic, institutional, social capital and political competition factors on corruption. Econometric estimates of a model of corruption show how both economic variables (government consumption, level of development) and political and cultural factors (party concentration, presence of voluntary organisations, absenteeism at national elections) are among the most important factors affecting corruption in Italy.
The determinants of corruption in Italy
PAPAGNI, Erasmo;
2007
Abstract
According to several indexes of corruption, Italian society is strongly affected by this negative phenomenon. This paper investigates the determinants of corruption in Italy in the period 1963-2001 through the use of statistics on crimes against public administration at a regional level. After a review of the international literature on the likely economic, political and cultural causes of corruption, the paper examines the last forty years and puts forward some hypotheses concerning the effects of economic, institutional, social capital and political competition factors on corruption. Econometric estimates of a model of corruption show how both economic variables (government consumption, level of development) and political and cultural factors (party concentration, presence of voluntary organisations, absenteeism at national elections) are among the most important factors affecting corruption in Italy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
