Catch me if you care: International development organizations and national corruption

Lauren L. Ferry (), Emilie M. Hafner-Burton () and Christina J. Schneider ()
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Lauren L. Ferry: University of Mississippi
Emilie M. Hafner-Burton: University of California
Christina J. Schneider: University of California

The Review of International Organizations, 2020, vol. 15, issue 4, No 1, 767-792

Abstract: Abstract Many international development organizations (IDOs) have officially mandated anti-corruption criteria for aid selectivity. Substantial debate remains over whether corruption deters aid and whether anti-corruption rules are effectively implemented. We argue that the extent to which both corruption and anti-corruption mandates factor into IDO allocation depends on the composition of the donors. Using existing data on corruption alongside newly collected data on anti-corruption mandates, we demonstrate that organizations composed of corrupt donors are just as likely to adopt, but less likely to enforce, anti-corruption mandates. Organizations composed of less corrupt donors, by contrast, tend to divert aid away from corrupt states, with or without formal anti-corruption rules in place. The findings have implications for the debate over whether international efforts to institutionalize “good governance” standards are sincere or cheap talk, whether multilateral strategies are in fact less politicized than bilateral aid allocation strategies, and whether international organizations should be inclusive, open to membership by many or even all states, including those with dubious track records.

Keywords: Corruption; Good governance; Foreign aid; International development organizations; Anti-corruption mandates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11558-019-09371-z

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