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Explaining Patterns of Corruption in the Russian Regions

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  • Phyllis Dininio
  • Robert W. Orttung

Abstract

Corruption is one of the key problems facing the Russian state as it seeks to evolve out of its socialist past. Naturally, regional patterns of corruption exist across a country as large and diverse as the Russian Federation. To explain these variations, we analyze 2002 data from Transparency International and the Information for Democracy Foundation that provides the first effort to measure differences in incidence of corruption across 40 Russian regions. We find that corruption in Russia primarily is a structural problem, and not one related to its institutions. Within each region, the amount of corruption increases as the size of the regional economy grows, the per capita income decreases, and the population decreases. Russian policymakers can therefore work to reduce corruption by encouraging economic development outside of the key centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Because the data show that voter turnout also lowers corruption, policymakers can also fight corruption by fostering more political accountability in elections.

Suggested Citation

  • Phyllis Dininio & Robert W. Orttung, 2004. "Explaining Patterns of Corruption in the Russian Regions," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 727, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
  • Handle: RePEc:wdi:papers:2004-727
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    File URL: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40113/3/wp727.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhuravskaya, Ekaterina & Slinko, Irina & Yakovlev, Evgeny, 2003. "Institutional Subversion: Evidence from Russian Regions," CEPR Discussion Papers 4024, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Andrei Shleifer & Daniel Treisman, 2003. "A Normal Country," NBER Working Papers 10057, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Treisman, Daniel, 2000. "The causes of corruption: a cross-national study," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 399-457, June.
    4. Harry G. Broadman, 2002. "Unleashing Russia's Business Potential : Lessons from the Regions for Building Market Institutions," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14096, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kolomak Evgeniya, 2007. "Sub-federal administrative regulation of entry in Russia," EERC Working Paper Series 07-03e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    2. William Tompson, 2007. "From "Clientelism" to a "Client-Centred Orientation"? The Challenge of Public Administration Reform in Russia," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 536, OECD Publishing.
    3. Asel Isakova & Alexander Plekhanov, 2011. "Region-specific Constraints to Doing Business: Evidence from Russia," Aussenwirtschaft, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economics Research, vol. 66(2), pages 181-210, June.
    4. Tullio Buccellato & Tomasz Mickiewicz, 2009. "Oil and Gas: A Blessing for the Few. Hydrocarbons and Inequality within Regions in Russia," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(3), pages 385-407.
    5. Thomas Herzfeld, 2008. "Inter-regional output distribution: a comparison of Russian and Chinese experience," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 431-447.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corruption; Russia;

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption

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