Islands of Integrity: Understanding the Politics of Corruption Reduction

This study examines services or institutions that have managed, against the odds, to become ‘islands of integrity’ in contexts of systemic corruption. It asks whether successful corruption reduction can be attributed to improved institutional operation or better enforcement, to key individuals or coalitions of willing actors, or a combination of all these. It also considers what the international community can do to support these processes.

The researchers will use statistical analysis of Transparency InternationaI’s Global Corruption Barometer database to identify ‘islands of integrity’. They will then explore five of these in depth, and will use fieldwork to drill down into two of these cases to develop a ‘deep dive’ understanding of how positive change happened. The research aims to find out what these success stories can tell us about how corruption can be reduced in challenging contexts, and how these lessons might inspire new and effective anti-corruption interventions in other countries.