5 ms·

"The logic goes, a parliamentarian was paid $1m a year rather than $200,000 a year, you might actually attract the best talent of society, and when you're paid

by kbart 12y ago

"The logic goes, a parliamentarian was paid $1m a year rather than $200,000 a year, you might actually attract the best talent of society, and when you're paid $1m a year, a $100k bribe at the risk of losing your position seems much less enticing. I find there's a grain of truth to that." Logically yes, but practically there are many examples proving that increasing salary only have minimal effect or, in turn, increase bribe size. Just to name few examples: 1. https://www.aae.wisc.edu/events/papers/DevEcon/2014/foltz.11.06.pdf https://www.aae.wisc.edu/events/papers/DevEcon/2014/foltz.11... 2. http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/41815/1/MPRA_paper_41815.pdf http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/41815/1/MPRA_paper_41815.pdf 2. http://www.independent.co.ug/News/news-analysis/4625-can-high-salary-curb-corruption http://www.independent.co.ug/News/news-analysis/4625-can-hig...

meric 12y ago
We find that due to raised salary impacts for Ghanaian police officers relative to customs agents causes the police to increase the value of bribes taken at each individual stop by between 20-40 percent (~$0.20 - $0.40), increase the total amount taken on the road, even while they reduce the number times they receive a bribe. Bribe size is increased, frequency is decreased, which is what you'd expect from increasing salary of a public official for the purpose of reducing corruption. Take it to the extreme and increase their salary to USD$1m per year, and the frequency could drop to 0 or 1, and the price could be $10m, so fewer instances of corruption would happen because fewer people can afford it. Public officials are also people. Most people have the same inherent desire to be good, and yet most are vulnerable to same temptations. The reality is not dictated by law. Of course, good enforcement and punishment of corrupt behaviour is also required.
- kbart 12y ago
  IMHO, taking 1 bribe of 3000$ instead of 3 bribes of 1000$ doesn't make you less corrupt.
  - meric 12y ago
    You're right, I think most if not all politicians are corrupt in some way or other, and if they are all there are to build governments with, then they will have to do. You could try to start yet another revolution to get rid of the corrupt officials in government, and after much bloodshed you might even succeed, but I think you know as well as I do how long that lasts.

by kbart 12y ago

meric 12y ago

We find that due to raised salary impacts for Ghanaian police officers relative to customs agents causes the police to increase the value of bribes taken at each individual stop by between 20-40 percent (~$0.20 - $0.40), increase the total amount taken on the road, even while they reduce the number times they receive a bribe. Bribe size is increased, frequency is decreased, which is what you'd expect from increasing salary of a public official for the purpose of reducing corruption. Take it to the extreme and increase their salary to USD$1m per year, and the frequency could drop to 0 or 1, and the price could be $10m, so fewer instances of corruption would happen because fewer people can afford it. Public officials are also people. Most people have the same inherent desire to be good, and yet most are vulnerable to same temptations. The reality is not dictated by law. Of course, good enforcement and punishment of corrupt behaviour is also required.

kbart 12y ago
IMHO, taking 1 bribe of 3000$ instead of 3 bribes of 1000$ doesn't make you less corrupt.
- meric 12y ago
  You're right, I think most if not all politicians are corrupt in some way or other, and if they are all there are to build governments with, then they will have to do. You could try to start yet another revolution to get rid of the corrupt officials in government, and after much bloodshed you might even succeed, but I think you know as well as I do how long that lasts.