Rising Above Corruption: South Africa, Brazil and India

In addition to being rising powers and Southern democracies, South Africa, Brazil and India also share a less-desirable feature: the scourge of corruption. Efforts to address the problem face different obstacles in each country. In South Africa, the single-party dominance of the ANC has led to a culture of entitlement. In Brazil, anti-corruption measures and public impatience are often undermined by inefficient enforcement mechanisms. And in India, reducing the friction of government administration might require a technological approach.

Articles in this feature

South Africa's Deepening Corruption Crisis

By James Hamill, , Feature

Extended periods of one-party dominance can prove detrimental to the health of democratic government in various ways. Corruption, in particular, is a feature of dominant-party systems and one of the means by which those systems can pose a threat to transparent and efficient government. After 18 years in power, South Africa’s African National Congress is largely serving to confirm this familiar trend. more

For Brazil's Rousseff, Uprooting Corruption No Easy Task

By Matthew Taylor, , Feature

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s Cabinet has undergone enormous change during her first year in office, with seven ministers sacked and at least two more teetering under corruption allegations. Many observers have been quick to laud these firings as proof of Rousseff’s diligence in fighting sleaze. But the underlying roots of the problem go far beyond the president and her willingness to clean house. more

Corruption in India: An IT Approach

By Prashant Agrawal, , Feature

From the start of 2011 to the year’s end, corruption dominated India's headlines and enflamed public opinion like no other issue. Three developments in particular brought corruption to the fore: the 2G telecommuncations scandal that cost India $20 billion, the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement, and an increasing number of arrests of India's powerful elite on corruption charges.
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