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Selecting less Corruptible Bureaucrats

Author

Listed:
  • Audrey Hu

    (Universiteit van Amsterdam)

  • Liang Zhou

    (Universiteit van Amsterdam)

Abstract

A government officials' propensity to corruption, or corruptibility, can be affected by his intertemporal preference over job benefits. Through a dynamic model of rent-seeking behavior, this paper examines how endogenously determined corruptibility changes with monitoring intensity, salary growth, and discount factor for expected future income. The paper illustrates credible circumstances in which the less an official values his job the more he seeks rents. This negative relation suggests a simple quasi-auction mechanism for selecting less corruptible public servants. While straightforward to implement, the quasi-auction also tends to circumvent the corrupt influence that is often associated with standard auction of jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Audrey Hu & Liang Zhou, 2007. "Selecting less Corruptible Bureaucrats," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-096/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20070096
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    rent seeking; corruption; selection of officials; quasi-auction; sale of jobs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions

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