korrupsjon

Korrupsjon is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It takes many forms and can occur in both public and private sectors. Common examples include bribery, embezzlement, fraud, extortion, and nepotism, involving politicians, civil servants, businesspeople, and other officials who misuse their positions.

Corruption is often described using several distinctions. Grand corruption refers to large-scale abuses at the highest levels of government for substantial personal or political gain. Petty corruption involves smaller transactions but can still undermine trust and daily functioning. State capture occurs when powerful interests influence laws and policies to serve their own ends, shaping regulatory environments, procurement, and public spending to their advantage.

Causes of korrupsjon include weak institutions, limited transparency, inadequate accountability, and discretionary power that creates opportunities for abuse. Political financing, lack of independent oversight, and opaque procurement processes can reinforce corrupt practices. Cultural norms and weak rule of law can perpetuate impunity.

The effects are wide-ranging. Corruption distorts resource allocation, deters investment, and lowers economic growth. It exacerbates inequality, weakens public service delivery, and undermines trust in government and institutions. Addressing it requires comprehensive measures to strengthen governance, rule of law, and civil society engagement.

Preventive and corrective approaches include anticorruption laws, independent judiciaries, transparent budgeting and procurement, robust auditing, asset disclosure, whistleblower protections, and ethics codes. International cooperation and standards, such as anti-corruption conventions, complement national efforts. Measurements from indices and indicators provide benchmarks but have limitations due to differing contexts.