There are different categories of corruption: 1. Bribes for government service 2. Government officials siphoning off resources 3. Government officials offeri

There are different categories of corruption: 1. Bribes for government service 2. Government officials siphoning off resources 3. Government officials offering lucrative contracts/appointments to their friends or to people who bribed them. I am no sociologist, but I can offer hypotheses for the first 2. 1. I think relative inequality might have a lot to do with this one. Although inequality is higher in the US than it is in India, people in the lower income bracket are able to afford a relatively decent standard of living. Also most government officials make middle class income. The marginal benefit of a bribe is very low and the marginal risk is very high. In India, some of the lower level civil servants/policemen make below-middle class wages (or maybe middle class by Indian standards.. I don't know). The marginal benefit of even a small bribe is very high. The marginal risk (due to factors I can't quantify... ie chance of getting caught, consequences, etc) is very low. 2. In the United States, a much higher portion of the population pays federal, state, and local taxes. In India only 2% of the population pays taxes. This is not quantified but I have a hypothesis: Countries where most people pay taxes have citizens who expect greater accountability from their elected/appointed officials because it is THEIR money. In India the average voter has no remote reason to demand his/her elected official to be accountable because its not HIS/HER money being wasted. 3. This might be the same reason as above. I don't really have a hypothesis for this one. Once again, these are just hypotheses that I have. I am not an economist, sociologist, or an academic of any kind and I do not have any data to back it up. Just anecdotal evidence.