These are two good books on the subject of corruption, I recommend both of them: Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences https://www.amazon.com/gp/pro

These are two good books on the subject of corruption, I recommend both of them: Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1107441099/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1107441099/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b... The Quest for Good Governance: How Societies Develop Control of Corruption https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1107534577/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1107534577/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b... They both suggest that a systemic problem is, simply systemic -- it crosses multiple institutions and it is broadly accepted. One way to judge the completeness of the corruption of the system is to look at what is missing: how many groups are not fighting against corruption. How many groups are bought into the system? Obviously the problem is less systemic in places where powerful institutions are actively fighting against corruption.