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Defining Corruption Where the State is Weak: The Case of Papua New Guinea

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  • Grant W. Walton

Abstract

Corruption is often defined as the abuse of public office for private gain. This article suggests that this is inadequate for understanding corruption in weak states and presents two broader definitions of the concept. It discusses findings from qualitative and quantitative research conducted in Papua New Guinea in light of these definitions. Respondents - particularly the poor and marginalised - saw corruption as tied to the actions of public officials as well as non-state actors. It is argued that applying broader definitions of corruption could help researchers and policy makers better understand citizens' concerns about corruption, particularly where the state is weak.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant W. Walton, 2015. "Defining Corruption Where the State is Weak: The Case of Papua New Guinea," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 15-31, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:51:y:2015:i:1:p:15-31
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2014.925541
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Khalid Sekkat, 2005. "Does corruption grease or sand the wheels of growth?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 69-97, January.
    2. Transparency International TI, 2012. "Corruption Perceptions Index 2012," Working Papers id:5186, eSocialSciences.
    3. repec:cup:apsrev:v:61:y:1967:i:02:p:417-427_13 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Eugene E. Ezebilo & Francis Odhuno & Philip Kavan, 2019. "The Perceived Impact of Public Sector Corruption on Economic Performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in a Developing Country," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Rajeev K. Goel & James W. Saunoris, 2016. "Military Buildups, Economic Development and Corruption," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 84(6), pages 697-722, December.
    3. Grant W Walton, 2023. "Decentralisation, corruption and topological reach in Papua New Guinea," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 41(2), pages 292-312, March.
    4. Caryn Peiffer & Grant W Walton, 2022. "Getting the (right) message across: How to encourage citizens to report corruption," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(5), September.
    5. Peiffer, Caryn & Armytage, Rosita, 2019. "Searching for success: A mixed methods approach to identifying and examining positive outliers in development outcomes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 97-107.
    6. Aline Gatignon & Marina A. B. Gama & Rodrigo B. DeMello, 2023. "The Returns to Nonmarket Strategies During Institutional Transitions: Investor Reactions to Actor and Tie Characteristics," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(2), pages 916-934, March.

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