The Temptations of Corruption. Legality in Comparative Perspective: East Central Europe and Southern Italy
The Temptations of Corruption. Legality in Comparative Perspective: East Central Europe and Southern Italy

Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to follow the public-good approach to outline the relevance of corruption in two contexts: Central Eastern Europe and Southern Italy. The author argues that according to people’s perceptions of what is legal and “proper”, it seems that the way development aids and policies are conveyed to countries in need by the EU fosters the permanence of corrupt practices. The question remains open whether corruption will remain a “perceived” public good by these countries, or if they will undergo new, less illegal processes of transformation and achievement of socio-economic progress. The author concludes that this depends very much on the way in which local institutions of power manage their political role.

• Details
• Contents