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Why is it that the "western world" rank low in corruption?
by hsuresh 16y ago
Why is it that the "western world" rank low in corruption?
- henrikschroder 16y agoA stronger sense of nationalism than tribalism, perhaps? More faith in government institutions, because they've been around longer?
- Andrew_Quentin 16y agowhat is the difference between nationalism and tribalism except for size?
- icegreentea 16y agoUsually only one nation in a country. Many tribes. Always exceptions though (looks at Quebec).
- scrrr 16y agoFree press, free speech, anti-corruption laws, many rules and protocols in business proceedings. Higher standard of living and higher income provide less incentive for illegal activities.
- varjag 16y agoMore atheists per capita.
- access_denied 16y agoBetter chances to "make it" through the ranks? In some countries you have to be "corrupt" to stay in business. There seems to be a network effect at play. Also, let's say a western firm builds a big hotel in a very corrupt country and pays some "fees" to be able to make business there. Who is corrupt then? The western manager or the local authority?
- zefhous 16y agoChristianity. Say what you want about Christianity itself — I'm not arguing for or against it — but I believe that it's because those are the societies in which a Christian morality was prevalent. A key aspect of Christian morality is fairness: do unto others..., pay people what you owe them, don't accept (or give) bribes. Corruption opposes those values and can't thrive in a society that embraces them. If those values don't exist then corruption has a chance.
- dpatru 16y agoYou should distinguish between Catholic and Protestant Christianity. Protestant Christianity, which emphasizes individual liberty, and thus implies limits on government power is more likely to prevent corruption.
- dpatru 16y agoMore freedom. If government doesn't prohibit or overregulate a thing, there is no chance of there being corruption about that thing. So, for example, when the Soviet Union was around and the economy was tightly regulated and commerce was tightly restricted, corruption abounded. It still abounds in areas of high government involvement. For example, if government has few regulations on starting a business, there little need for corruption. If, however, there are a lot of regulations, then the result will be that you need to "payoff" local officials in order to open and operate a business. The question then becomes: why do eastern peoples tend to tolerate big, intrusive governments and western people tend to like freedom?