Topic Guide: Political Corruption

Political corruption is a type of corruption that involves political decision-makers. It takes place when politicians and public officials who are entitled to make and enforce the laws use their political power to sustain their statues and wealth and/or make decisions in the benefit of private interests[1]. Political corruption thus often involves the abuse of power, and leads not only to the misallocation of resources, but also affects the manner in which decisions are made[2].

Political corruption often is facilitated by a system of secrecy and weak accountability, and it has a hugely detrimental impact upon public perceptions of the legitimacy of political institutions, weakening the democratic system as a whole, particularly when political leaders involved in corruption consistently remain unpunished.