Suchergebnisse

Explores whether offering bribes, corruption, & clientelism are beneficial or detrimental to Third World nations' development. A review of contemporary literature on offering bribes, corruption, & clientelism is presented to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing the economic effects of these practices. Seven factors that must be considered to resolve the issue are identified: calculability of corrupt actions; the need to determine which resources are wasted; receipt & subsequent investment of bribes; effects of corruption & clientelism on competition & market functioning; the influence of corrupt action on the state's role in developing the national economy; the impact of these processes on the institutionalization of state agencies & political parties; existence of other methods of economic & political development & their ability to counterbalance the effects of corruption & clientelism. Several recommendations for future research are also offered. J. W. Parker

Examines criticisms of Robert Putnam's (1993) explanation of the weakness of southern Italy's civic culture on the basis of various questions regarding the role of ideologies & institutions in generating social capital. Putnam's perspective on southern culture is delved into, focusing on his unilaterally negative representation & neglect of the presence of social capital & civic culture. An institutional perspective targeting the role of the Italian state in fostering clientelism is contended to provide a better explanation for poor southern governance & a lack of civicness in the region. Why the state has had such a negative impact in Italy & why it is so pronounced in the south is then explored in terms of the characteristics of the Italian state before considering the utility of such a perspective for northern civic culture. Implications of the discussion for understanding social capital are contemplated in closing. J. Zendejas

Examines the role of the judiciary in exposing public officials' corrupt behavior in Italy, France, & Spain throughout the late 20th century. The 1992 scandal involving Italian party leader Bettino Craxi is reviewed to illustrate the extent to which corruption definitions have changed in contemporary society. It is contended that the association of legal discourse in the judiciary with moral discourse in the media produced the increased exposure of scandal in the Latin European nations throughout the 1990s. The role of certain Italian, French, & Spanish judiciaries in highlighting the prevalence of clientelism & other forms of corruption in their respective nations is discussed. Claims of judicial legitimacy have necessarily involved the political sphere in investigations of corruption. The place of national business sectors in the judicial-political-media schema for examining corruption scandals is addressed. 1 Figure. J. W. Parker

Examines the role of the judiciary in exposing public officials' corrupt behavior in Italy, France, & Spain throughout the late 20th century. The 1992 scandal involving Italian party leader Bettino Craxi is reviewed to illustrate the extent to which corruption definitions have changed in contemporary society. It is contended that the association of legal discourse in the judiciary with moral discourse in the media produced the increased exposure of scandal in the Latin European nations throughout the 1990s. The role of certain Italian, French, & Spanish judiciaries in highlighting the prevalence of clientelism & other forms of corruption in their respective nations is discussed. Claims of judicial legitimacy have necessarily involved the political sphere in investigations of corruption. The place of national business sectors in the judicial-political-media schema for examining corruption scandals is addressed. 1 Figure. J. W. Parker

Describes violent public protests against an increase in public transportation prices that occurred in Caracas, Venezuela, during Feb 1989 to explore fear of the Other. Over 80 people died in the spontaneous burning & looting that spread to well-to-do neighborhoods & turned latent fears of the upper classes into reality. It is contended that the encroachment of poverty-stricken people from the surrounding hills unraveled the social fabric of Venezuelan society. The rioting exposed a society that had too long accepted "subalterns who live their subordination with normality, dominated by a naturalizing vision of social hierarchies, & a relationship to the state expressed more in terms of clientelism or paternalism than in terms of citizenship, rights, & obligations." A discussion of the implications for life in Caracas notes an increased number of people carrying weapons; an erosion of trust in the legal/judicial system; & obsession with personal security. Concepts of Us & the Other are discussed, along with the power of narratives, & the constitution of social identity by memories, myths, & the symbolic order. J. Lindroth

Contends that Russia's weak & asymmetrical form of federalism impinges on democratic consolidation, suggesting that the 1990-1993 freezing of federal relations is a key to the current semiauthoritarian regime. Four factors have played roles in federal-level weakness: (1) the Soviet-era legacy of the hybrid ethno-territorial principle of federalism, (2) the 1993 Constitution's tenuous legitimacy, (3) the problem of ethnic secessionism, & (4) bilateral treaties & contract federalism. The relationship of federalism to democracy is discussed, noting Russia exhibits regional diversity in civil society development, electoral practices, & adherence to constitutional norms & exercise of human rights. Local & regional political & economic elites have taken advantage of federal weakness, with clientelism, patrimonialism, & corruption rampant. The lack of strong leadership on the part of the federal law enforcement undermines the Constitution & thwarts the development of legal culture, thus, democracy. It is concluded that the legacy of ethnoterritorial federalism has generated major tensions & divisions. Bilateralism is seen as an attempt to counter this asymmetrical form of federalism, but it undercut the Constitution, leading to ethnic secessionism & demands for legal separation, which resulted in Yeltsin conceding more & more power to regional elites in exchange for support. J. Zendejas