Transitions to Good Governance: Creating Virtuous Circles of Anti-corruption

Why have so few countries managed to leave systematic corruption behind, while in many others modernization is still a mere facade? How do we escape the trap of corruption, to reach a governance system based on ethical universalism? In this unique book, Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Michael Johnston lead a team of eminent researchers on an illuminating path towards deconstructing the few virtuous circles in contemporary governance. The book combines a solid theoretical framework with quantitative evidence and case studies from around the world. While extracting lessons to be learned from the success cases covered, Transitions to Good Governance avoids being prescriptive and successfully contributes to the understanding of virtuous circles in contemporary good governance. Offering a balanced but always grounded perspective, this collection combines analytic narratives of existing virtuous circles and how they were established, with an analysis of the global evidence. In doing so the authors explain why governance is so resistant to change, and describe the lessons to be remembered for international anti-corruption efforts. Exploring the primacy of politics over economic development, and in order to understand how vicious circles can be broken, the expert contributions trace the progress of countries that have successfully transitioned. Unprecedentedly, this book goes beyond the tests of different variables to showcase human agency on every continent, and reveals why some nations make the best and others the worst of the same development legacies. This comprehensive examination of virtuous circles of governance will appeal to all scholars with an interest in transitions, democratization, anti-corruption and good governance. Policy-makers and practitioners in the fields of international development, good governance and democracy support will find it an invaluable resource. Contributors include: A. Bozzini, D. Bupuet Corleto, C. Göbel, M. Johnston, V. Kalnins, L. Khatib, A. Kupatadze, M. Martini, A. Mungiu-Pippidi, P. Navia, R. Piñeiro, D. Sebudubudu, E. Villarreal, B.W. Wilson, J.-S. You

Table of Contents:
Contents: 1. Introduction: Identifying and explaining governance virtuous circles Alina Mungiu-Pippidi 2. The atypical achievers: Botswana, Qatar and Rwanda David Sebudubudu, Lina Khatib and Alessandro Bozzini 3. The Uruguayan path from particularism to universalism Daniel Buquet Corleto and Rafael Piñeiro 4. Georgia: Breaking out of a vicious circle Alexander Kupatadze 5. The world’s smallest virtuous circle: Estonia Valts Kalniņš 6. South Korea: The odyssey to corruption control Jong-sung You 7. Tracing Taiwan’s road to good governance Christian Göbel 8. Costa Rica: Tipping points and an incomplete journey Bruce M. Wilson and Evelyn Villarreal 9. Chile: Human agency against the odds Patricio Navia, Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Maira Martini 10. Conclusions and lessons learned Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Michael Johnston Index

About the Author :
Edited by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Comparative Public Policy, LUISS Guido Carli, Rome, Italy and Michael Johnston, Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Colgate University, US

Review :
'Vicious cycles, where corruption breeds corruption, present special challenges. Nevertheless, some success stories exist. The case studies in this edited volume highlight reforms that created virtuous cycles, where honesty breeds honesty. Nevertheless, the authors caution that reforms may be fragile and incomplete if policies do not shift expectations and behavior sufficiently enough toward a new, less-corrupt status quo.' --Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale University, US