Corruption in America : a fifty-ring circus / Oguzhan Dincer, Michael Johnston.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dincer, Oguzhan, author.

Johnston, Michael, 1949- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political corruption--United States.

Political corruption.

Corruption--United States.

Corruption.

United States--Politics and government--Moral and ethical aspects.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 210 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

How corrupt is the United States of America? While the US presents itself as an exemplar of democratic government and politics, many citizens see it as highly corrupt. In this book, Oguzhan Dincer and Michael Johnston explore corruption across a range of policy areas in all fifty states using two major forms of corruption - legal and illegal - via three proxy measures of corruption. They not only estimate the pervasiveness of such corruption in each state, but also compare and contrast their causes, consequences, and implications for contemporary issues including racial inequities, public health policy, and the environment, while also highlighting issues of citizen participation and trust in political processes. The book presents no reform toolkits or quick fixes for American corruption problems, but frames key challenges of institutional change and democratic political revival that can be used in the struggle to build a more just, and better-governed, society.

Contents:

Cover

Half-title page

Title page

Copyright page

Dedication

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

Part I How Corrupt is America?

1 It All Depends …

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Two Forms of Corruption: Legal and Illegal

1.3 That Fifty-Ring Circus

1.4 A Plan of Attack

Part I: How Corrupt Is America?

Chapter 1. It All Depends …

Chapter 2. Can We Measure Corruption?

Chapter 3. Why Are Some States More Corrupt than Others?

Part II: What Difference Does It Make? Consequences of Corruption

Chapter 4. Economic and Political Outcomes: Corruption, Growth, Inequality, Trust, and Voter Participation

Chapter 5. Racial Outcomes: Killings of Black Americans by Police and Structural Corruption

Chapter 6. Environmental Outcomes: Clean Air, Clean Water … Dirty Politics?

Chapter 7. Public Health Outcomes: Race, Corruption, and COVID-19

Part III: Can We Do Anything about Corruption?

Chapter 8. Economic and Political Responses to Corruption

Chapter 9: The Challenges Ahead

2 Can We Measure Corruption?

2.1 Corruption: Controversial, Ill-Defined, and Often Secretive

2.2 Three Ways to Measure Corruption

2.2.1 Corruption Convictions Index

2.2.2 Corruption Reflections Index

2.2.3 Corruption Perceptions Index

2.3 Conclusion

3 Why Are Some States More Corrupt than Others?

3.1 Corruption, State by State

3.2 Determinants of Corruption in America

3.2.1 Political Variables

3.2.2 Demographic Variables

3.2.3 Economic Variables

3.3 Empirical Analysis

3.3.1 Illegal Corruption

3.3.2 Legal Corruption

3.3.3 Did We Miss Anything?

3.4 Conclusion

Part II What Difference Does it Make? Consequences of Corruption

4 Economic and Political Outcomes: Corruption, Growth, Inequality, Trust,and Voter Participation.

4.1 Corruption and Growth: Grease for the Wheels or Sand in the Gears?

4.1.1 Empirical Analysis

4.2 Corruption and Income Inequality

4.2.1 Empirical Analysis

4.3 Can Citizens Limit Power? Corruption and Trust in Government

4.3.1 The Social Foundations of Politics

4.3.2 Corruption and the Social Bargain

4.3.3 "Who Ya Gonna Believe? Me or Your Own Eyes?"

4.3.4 Do We Trust Each Other?

4.3.5 Empirical Analysis

4.4 Corruption and Voter Participation

4.5 Corruption and Democratic Distemper

5 Racial Outcomes: Killings of Black Americans by Police and Structural Corruption

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Enforcement, Violence, and Control: Police Killings of Black Americans

5.2.1 Police and Society

5.2.2 The Thin Blue Line?

5.3 Political Determinants of Police Killings

5.3.1 Corruption

5.3.2 Political Culture

5.3.3 Political Ideology

5.3.4 Special Interest Groups: The Influence of Police Unions

5.3.5 Political Party Competition

5.4 Empirical Analysis

5.4.1 Data

5.4.2 Results

5.4.3 Robustness of Results

5.5 A Systemic Dilemma

6 Environmental Outcomes: Clean Air, Clean Water … Dirty Politics?

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Corruption, Trust, and Collective Action: Findings in the Literature

6.3 Empirical Analysis

6.4 Conclusion

7 Public Health Outcomes: Race, Corruption, and COVID-19

7.1 Introduction: Enough to Make You Sick

7.2 Corruption, Social Distancing, and Vaccination

7.2.1 Corruption and Compliance with Social Distancing and Vaccination

7.2.2 Trust in Government and Social Capital

7.2.3 Trust in Government and Legitimacy of Government

7.2.4 Empirical Analysis: Data

7.2.5 Empirical Analysis: Results

7.3 COVID-19, Corruption, and Race: The Pandemic Is Not Colorblind

7.3.1 Empirical Analysis: Data

7.3.2 Empirical Analysis: Results

7.4 Conclusion.

Part III Can We Do Anything About Corruption?

8 Economic and Political Responses to Corruption

8.1 Is Smaller Government a Solution?

8.1.1 Previous Findings in the Literature

8.1.2 Empirical Analysis

8.2 Decentralized Government: A Double-Edged Sword?

8.3 Better Politics through … Politics?

8.3.1 Term Limits: Don't Let the Scoundrels Hang Around

8.3.2 Greater Political Competition

8.3.3 Where Do We Draw the Line? Gerrymandering and Corruption

8.3.4 Empirical Analysis

8.3.5 Follow the Money: Campaign Financing

8.4 Complexities and Contingencies of Reform

9 The Challenges Ahead

References

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 24 Mar 2025).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-009-42339-8

1-009-42341-X

1-009-42338-X

OCLC:

1511747629