On the Cultural Transmission of Corruption

Authors: Hauk E.¹; Saez-Marti M.²

Source: Journal of Economic Theory, Volume 107, Number 2, December 2002 , pp. 311-335(25)

Publisher: Academic Press

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Abstract:

We provide a cultural explanation to the phenomenon of corruption in the framework of an overlapping generations model with intergenerational transmission of values. We show that the economy has two steady states with different levels of corruption. The driving force in the equilibrium selection process is the education effort exerted by parents which depends on the distribution of ethics in the population and on expectations about future policies. We propose some policy interventions which via parents' efforts have long-lasting effects on corruption and show the success of intensive education campaigns. Educating the young is a key element in reducing corruption successfully. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D10, J13. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Keywords: corruption; cultural transmission; ethics; public education.

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1006/jeth.2001.2956

Affiliations: 1: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 08005, Spain 2: The Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm, Sweden

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