5 Political corruption and organised crime
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James L. Newell
Abstract
This chapter takes its point of departure from the fact that corruption typically involves the interaction of a wide range of actors – including mediators and third-party enforcers specialised in the job of ensuring a sufficient degree of trust between the counterparts to enable transactions to be concluded successfully. It is on these third-party enforcers – referred to as ‘mafias’ – that the chapter focusses, as they offer the threat of violence to ensure that, once the parties to a corrupt exchange have agreed to do business, the terms are actually respected. To that extent, they offer something analogous to the insurance policies available, in the world of legal contracts, to protect firms and individuals against non-compliance or the consequences of non-compliance. They might also be regarded as analogous to legal debt collection agencies or private security firms, the difference being that once their services have been engaged, they cannot easily be dismissed. The chapter begins by looking at the characteristics of mafias, before considering the conditions under which they succeed in establishing themselves as powerful entities able to offer the protection and contract enforcement that are their distinguishing features. It then considers the relationship between mafias and corruption in some detail.
Abstract
This chapter takes its point of departure from the fact that corruption typically involves the interaction of a wide range of actors – including mediators and third-party enforcers specialised in the job of ensuring a sufficient degree of trust between the counterparts to enable transactions to be concluded successfully. It is on these third-party enforcers – referred to as ‘mafias’ – that the chapter focusses, as they offer the threat of violence to ensure that, once the parties to a corrupt exchange have agreed to do business, the terms are actually respected. To that extent, they offer something analogous to the insurance policies available, in the world of legal contracts, to protect firms and individuals against non-compliance or the consequences of non-compliance. They might also be regarded as analogous to legal debt collection agencies or private security firms, the difference being that once their services have been engaged, they cannot easily be dismissed. The chapter begins by looking at the characteristics of mafias, before considering the conditions under which they succeed in establishing themselves as powerful entities able to offer the protection and contract enforcement that are their distinguishing features. It then considers the relationship between mafias and corruption in some detail.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vi
- List of tables vii
- Preface viii
- List of abbreviations xi
- 1 Definitions of political corruption, and why study corruption 1
- 2 The growth, spread and measurement of corruption 21
- 3 The causes and explanations of political corruption 43
- 4 The mechanisms and dynamics of corruption 64
- 5 Political corruption and organised crime 82
- 6 Political corruption and scandal 103
- 7 Anti-corruption 124
- 8 Corruption in liberal democracies 143
- 9 Political corruption in Central and Eastern Europe 169
- 10 Political corruption in the developing and newly industrialised states 194
- Index 218
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vi
- List of tables vii
- Preface viii
- List of abbreviations xi
- 1 Definitions of political corruption, and why study corruption 1
- 2 The growth, spread and measurement of corruption 21
- 3 The causes and explanations of political corruption 43
- 4 The mechanisms and dynamics of corruption 64
- 5 Political corruption and organised crime 82
- 6 Political corruption and scandal 103
- 7 Anti-corruption 124
- 8 Corruption in liberal democracies 143
- 9 Political corruption in Central and Eastern Europe 169
- 10 Political corruption in the developing and newly industrialised states 194
- Index 218
