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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political corruption
Billions of dollars stolen from citizens are circling the globe,
enriching powerful individuals, altering political outcomes, and
disadvantaging everyday people. News headlines provide glimpses of
how this corruption works and why it matters: President Trump's
businesses struck deals with oligarchs and sold property to
secretive shell companies; the Panama Papers leak triggered
investigations in 79 countries; and, corruption scandals toppled
heads of state in Brazil, South Africa, and South Korea. But how do
these pieces fit together? And if the corruption is so vast and so
tied up with powerful interests, how do we begin to fight back? To
find answers, Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that
erupted during the recent oil boom. From 2008 to 2014, oil prices
shot through the roof. Motivated by more than nine trillion dollars
in new oil money, corruption followed apace. Examining the oil boom
is like placing a drop of dye in the circulatory system of global
corruption, and watching as it reveals the system's channels and
pathways. Company bosses signed off on risky schemes to snap up
choice oil blocks. Politicians in Brazil and Nigeria stole billions
to build up their election war chests. Kleptocrats in Angola,
Azerbaijan, and Russia seized upon the oil wealth to cement their
hold on power. And an army of bankers, accountants, and lawyers
lined up to help these corrupt actors stash their loot in the
global system of shell companies and tax havens that serves today's
super-rich. The money then bought yachts, mansions, and even a few
foreign politicians. Drawing on information exposed by intrepid
journalists, prosecutors, and whistle blowers, Crude Intentions
tells jaw-dropping stories of corruption and asks what we can learn
from them. The cases reveal common tactics, but also
vulnerabilities in this web of fraud. These are the starting points
for building a smarter fight against corruption, in the oil sector
and well beyond.
Understanding and Combating Global Corruption: A Reader provides
students and anti-corruption thinkers and activists with a
collection of essays by accomplished scholars and thinkers from
around the world. The essays challenge readers to think through
issues associated with global corruption, in both commerce and
government, with reference to particular forms of corruption such
as bribery and fraud, as well as to systemic or systematic abuses
of power or authority. In the opening reading, students learn that
the term "corruption" has a broad definition that is not limited to
quid pro quo transactions, but can also involve betrayals of trust
and failures to render honest services on behalf of stakeholders.
Additional readings examine the various forms of corruption that
have developed within the United States throughout the country's
history, and how that corruption was mitigated or ablated by
government officials acting in the public interest. Students
explore cases of corruption from other countries, including Brazil
and Nigeria. The text closes with a philosophical argument that a
"whole-of-society approach" could help countries move toward
eradicating corruption. Featuring enlightening and
thought-provoking readings, Understanding and Combating Global
Corruption is an ideal resource for courses in business and
professional ethics.
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A Democracy Divided
(Paperback)
Ralph J Long; Cover design or artwork by Robert R. Sanders; Edited by Shawn Aveningo Sanders
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R312
Discovery Miles 3 120
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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President Erdogan's victory in the April 2017 referendum granted
him sweeping new powers across Turkey. The constitutional reforms
transform the country from a parliamentary democracy into a
"Turkish style" presidential republic. Despite being democratically
elected, Turkey's ruling AKP party has moved towards increasingly
authoritarian measures. During the coup attempt in July 2016, the
AKP government declared a state of emergency which Erdogan saw as
an opportunity to purge the public sector of pro-Gulenist
individuals and criminalise opposition groups including Kurds,
Alevites, leftists and liberals. The country experienced political
turmoil and rapid transformation as a result. This book identifies
the process of democratic reversal in Turkey. In particular,
contributors explore the various ways that a democratically elected
political party has used elections to implement authoritarian
measures. They scrutinise the very concepts of democracy, elections
and autocracy to expose their flaws which can be manipulated to
advantage. The book includes chapters discussing the roots of
authoritarianism in Turkey; the political economy of elections; the
relationship between the political Islamic groups and the
government; Turkish foreign policy; non-Muslim communities'
attitudes towards the AKP; and Kurdish citizens' voting patterns.
As well as following Turkey's political trajectory, this book
contextualises Turkey in the wider literature on electoral and
competitive authoritarianisms and explores the country's future
options.
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