Trust and Bribery: The Role of the Quid Pro Quo and the Link with Crime / Jennifer Hunt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hunt, Jennifer.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w10510.

NBER working paper series no. w10510

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Trust and Bribery

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2004.

Summary:

I study data on bribes actually paid by individuals to public officials, viewing the results through a theoretical lens that considers the implications of trust networks. A bond of trust may permit an implicit quid pro quo to substitute for a bribe, which reduces corruption. Appropriate networks are more easily established in small towns, by long-term residents of areas with many other long-term residents, and by individuals in regions with many residents their own age. I confirm that the prevalence of bribery is lower under these circumstances, using the International Crime Victim Surveys. I also find that older people, who have had time to develop a network, bribe less. These results highlight the uphill nature of the battle against corruption faced by policy-makers in rapidly urbanizing countries with high fertility. I show that victims of (other) crimes bribe all types of public officials more than non-victims, and argue that both their victimization and bribery stem from a distrustful environment.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2004.