Protecting the Public's Right to Know the Activities of its Government
Dispelling Misconceptions of Sovereignty Versus Public Corruption
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- Category: Transparency International
Perception Versus Reality
Perhaps the best starting point for dispelling misconceptions of sovereignty versus public corruption begins with Transparency International which proclaims to be the international authority against corruption.
Let’s us begin shall we:
“Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine development – it is a key cause of declining democracy, instability and human rights violations.” François Valérian Chair, Transparency International
Does any of that sound familiar in your country of residence? If you’re in the United States it should sound familiar. In fact, it is more real than some would believe or otherwise refuse to believe. It is said that ‘Perception is reality.’ Perhaps so, but the take here is Perception versus Reality – which is to say that sometimes perception differs from reality despite one’s earnest desire to fixate themselves with their own version of reality. In other words reality bites.
Transparency International authors its Corruption Perceptions Index, (CPI) which is just that – a perception of a level of corruption within a country comprised of empirical data albeit in reality the CPI can have a ‘Halo effect’ slant to and fro depending upon the country in question, political-cultural intertwining, and so forth. The CPI can be a little difficult to comprehend from the standpoint of its descending versus ascending scale in terms of measuring a country’s corruption level and impact on the global ecosystem.
For example, per the attached white paper, The United States has a CPI of 65, Kazakhstan 40, Jamaica 44, and Columbia 39. On the other end of the spectrum there is Denmark (90), Finland (88), and Singapore (84). To recap the earlier statement, these measurements are descending instead of ascending thus a little misleading. What this means is the lower the score the higher the ‘Perceived’ level of corruption, whereas the higher the score the lower the ‘Perceived’ level of corruption.
A quick look at the data shows the United States with a CPI of 65 which is just above center in a more positive perceived direction – keyword --- perceived. Now the United States has the largest GDP and government budget in the world yet Denmark, Finland, and Singapore all rank considerably higher i.e. the rankings are presumed non-linear. Furthermore, Singapore has been understood for scores of decades as being a very stable country with very low corruption levels which incidentally is a Chinese territory which is allowed to operate independent of Beijing. Read the data for yourself. How does one explain the three (3) countries: Denmark, Finland, and Singapore which have a fraction of the USA’s GDP and yet head and shoulders above what anyone could possibly state about the United States? Perhaps the answer lies in the non-linear relationship between GDP Growth and corruption, up to a certain point anyway, since the chart itself illustrates much higher levels of perceived corruption at much lower GDP levels. In other words, perhaps a theory can be presented which reflects an inverse level of GDP to corruption up to a certain point at which point a different rule kicks in (linear proportionate, up to a point then non-linear at lower levels of corruption as a country climbs the chart), mostly factored by political-cultural dynamics. Again, read the white paper for yourself.
Another point of consideration:
“In the United States (65), a major energy company orchestrated a US$60 million bribery scheme to unduly influence public policy in its favour and slow a transition to renewable energy. The prosecutors argue that the company funneled money to a politician – who maintains his innocence – and his associates so they would push through a billion-dollar bailout of two nuclear power plants.” Transparency International
The above represents why the CPI is ‘Perceived.’ As countries grow in GDP, a direct relationship shapes and forms with corruption and the ability to camouflage such corruption from the public using such techniques as feeding propaganda, domestic espionage driven narritives, or using ‘Ordained examples' of success and citizen independence, which furthers the desired perception of the country in question -- in this case, the United States. Now, couple that with slush funds around the world which certainly can feed and drive the publishing and release of certain data to mask the true levels of corruption hence, again, the ‘Perception’ of corruption from the public’s perception. In short, the United States has much more favorable perception of corruption than reality which in reality is substantially higher than the CPI posits.
To find out how your country stacks up in terms of CPI, read on.