Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 01/2011

Transparency International's Annual Report 2009

January 2010

Transparency International

Abstract

Political corruption doesn’t just mean electoral fraud; it includes the growing role of private rather than public interests in elections and public policy making. Along with the increasing influence of money in politics, this undermines public trust in democracy and its institutions. Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Barometer found that the general public see political parties as the most corrupt domestic institution, followed by civil servants and parliaments. In developing and transition countries, where democratic institutions remain fragile, political corruption diverts resources from providing basic social services for millions of poor and disadvantaged people.