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The transition of corruption: From poverty to honesty

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  • Gundlach, Erich
  • Paldam, Martin

Abstract

Measures of corruption and income are highly correlated across countries. We use prehistoric measures of biogeography as instruments for modern income levels. We find that our instrumented incomes explain the cross-country pattern of corruption just as well as do actual incomes. This result demonstrates that the long-run causality is entirely from income to corruption. Hence, there is a Corruption Transition: As countries get rich, corruption vanishes.

Suggested Citation

  • Gundlach, Erich & Paldam, Martin, 2008. "The transition of corruption: From poverty to honesty," Kiel Working Papers 1411, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1411
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paldam, Martin & Gundlach, Erich, 2008. "Democratic transition, The: a study of the causality between income and the Gastil democracy index," Kiel Working Papers 1459, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Deininger, Klaus & Squire, Lyn, 1996. "A New Data Set Measuring Income Inequality," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 10(3), pages 565-591, September.
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    5. Olsson, Ola & Hibbs, Douglas Jr., 2005. "Biogeography and long-run economic development," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 909-938, May.
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    8. Hibbs Jr., Douglas A. & Olsson, Ola, 2003. "Geography, Biogeography and Why Some Countries are Rich and Others Poor," Working Papers in Economics 105, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics, revised 15 Jan 2004.
    9. Martin Paldam, 2001. "Corruption and Religion Adding to the Economic Model," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2‐3), pages 383-413, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corruption; Biogeography; Long-run development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B25 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Austrian; Stockholm School
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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