Fear and Loathing of the Corruption Perception Index: Does Transparency International Penalize Press Freedom?

29 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2010

See all articles by Thomas Roca

Thomas Roca

Data-Pop Alliance

William Orme

United Nations - Human Development Report Office

Jacqueline Brown

Columbia University- School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)

Date Written: October 18, 2010

Abstract

Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has become the single most effective advocacy tool in the global fight against fraud, embezzlement and other abuses of public office for private gain.

Countries relegated to the bottom tier of the CPI rankings are not only embarrassed (usually), but penalized financially, as the stigma makes it harder to secure aid and investment. For any multilateral loan officer or multinational plant-siting team, checking a country's CPI rating is now basic due diligence. As well it should be: Corruption is a development scourge, acting as a stubborn brake on growth, a regressive tax on the poor, and often a corrosively effective enemy of democratization.

Corruption assessment, not unlike governance assessment tools, is qualitative and the result of perceptions. Therefore, it suffers from the influence of information availability and media freedom. Our analysis, demonstrated that the media freedom extent may have a strong.

Keywords: Corruption, Governance, Corruption Perception Index, CPI, Transparency International, Corruption Measurement, Perception Indicators, Press Freedom, Freedom House

JEL Classification: O11, O17, O19

Suggested Citation

Roca, Thomas and Orme, William A. and Brown, Jacqueline, Fear and Loathing of the Corruption Perception Index: Does Transparency International Penalize Press Freedom? (October 18, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1694211 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1694211

Thomas Roca (Contact Author)

Data-Pop Alliance ( email )

William A. Orme

United Nations - Human Development Report Office ( email )

304 E 45th Street, FF-1262
New York, NY 10017
United States

Jacqueline Brown

Columbia University- School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) ( email )

420 W. 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
United States

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