Corruption in America

26 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2004 Last revised: 28 Jul 2022

See all articles by Edward L. Glaeser

Edward L. Glaeser

Harvard University - Department of Economics; Brookings Institution; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Raven E. Saks

U.S. Federal Reserve - Division of Research and Statistics

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Date Written: October 2004

Abstract

We use a data set of federal corruption convictions in the U.S. to investigate the causes and consequences of corruption. More educated states, and to a less degree richer states, have less corruption. This relationship holds even when we use historical factors like education in 1928 or Congregationalism in 1890, as instruments for the level of schooling today. The level of corruption is weakly correlated with the level of income inequality and racial fractionalization, and uncorrelated with the size of government. There is a weak negative relationship between corruption and employment and income growth. These results echo the cross-country findings, and support the view that the correlation between development and good political outcomes occurs because more education improves political institutions.

Suggested Citation

Glaeser, Edward L. and Saks, Raven E., Corruption in America (October 2004). NBER Working Paper No. w10821, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=601123

Edward L. Glaeser (Contact Author)

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Raven E. Saks

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