Work

Varieties of Corruption? A Typology of Country-Level Corruption Patterns Using Fuzzy-Set Ideal Type Analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Broadly applied unidimensional corruption indices fail to grasp important qualitative differences between various manifestations of corruption, creating substantive obstacles in corruption research. Against this background, the present article develops a typology of country-level corruption patterns comprising four Weberian ideal types (ITs) and assigns countries to ITs based on the fuzzy-set ideal type analysis (FSITA) method. The typology focuses on formal and informal institutions that influence emerging corruption patterns rather than tangible properties of corruption. The four ITs are Limited misconduct in developed countries , Partial state capture , Autocratic patrimonialism , and Dispersed and unconstrained corruption . The analysis, comprising a total of 83 countries globally, offers novel insights into corruption patterns and their underlying mechanisms, demonstrates the applicability of the FSITA method in the context of corruption research, and offers policy pointers in the field of anti-corruption.

Source: Political Studies Review

DOI: 10.1177/14789299251335227

Authors: Áron Hajnal, Attila Bartha, József Péter Martin

Institutions: Corvinus University of Budapest, Centre for Social Sciences, Transparency International

Language: English

Topic: Corruption and Economic Development

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650