An Empirical Typology of Corruption: the Underlying Behaviors Behind Public Corruption Cases

• In Event: Politics, Corruption, and Crimes of the Powerful

Abstract

An analysis of more than 300 public corruption convictions that occurred over a three-year period are used to develop a typology of categories of corruption. It is discovered that seven distinct types of corrupt conduct are represented, suggesting that corruption under U.S. law has seven distinct types, despite the multiplicity of charges brought in these cases. These findings are compared with a larger database of cases spanning 30 years to see how well the typology holds up over time. The utility of the typology for understanding the underlying behavioral aspects of corruption and its contexts are explained with implications for reducing its occurrence.

Authors

• Jay Albanese, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Kristine Artello, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Linh Thi Nguyen, Virginia Commonwealth University