Corruption and Governance Across Democracies

In recent years, the issue of "governance" has attracted increasing attention. Why are some countries more corrupt than others? Why do some governments distribute government programs equitably, while others manipulate them for political ends? The purpose of this class is to characterize, examine, and, to the extent possible, explain the persistence of these "bad governance" practices in many democracies in the developing world. We will draw on examples from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and we will also make comparisons with appropriate current and historical cases from Western Europe and the United States. Enrollment limited to 20 junior and senior Political Science concentrators.