In many of the countries most affected by high levels of corruption
it is often the case that formal laws and structures of governance found
in developed countries exist but with little of their function. In
contrast, other rules and practices (that are mostly unwritten and
rarely openly articulated) are widely adhered to and the social
penalties for breaking them can be severe.
Corruption often takes place according to these informal, unwritten
rules. Whether it involves giving or soliciting a bribe, exchanging
favours, or persecuting one's opponents through selective application of
the law, informality dictates how power is exercised and who gains
access to public resources.
Adopting the informality lens helps us transcend some assumptions
that have not proven helpful in advancing our understanding of the
conditions and motivations that fuel corruption. An example is the
presumption about the existence of a clear distinction between the
public and the private spheres that influences the manner in which
individuals behave in different contexts.
The picture emerging from the research challenges conventional
wisdoms and invites us to move away from stereotypes such as those of
the abusive public official and the citizens as helpless victims.
