Corruption as a phenomenon is broadly explored and measured through a variety of different approaches to indicators. Corrupt practices, their causes, and effects vary from country to country. Similarly, the approaches to anti-corruption reforms, their design, and implementation practice differ in different country contexts. While the causes of corruption and their effect on the quality of governance are widely explored, the mechanisms that might influence and determine the functionality and effectiveness of anti-corruption reforms remain an underexplored subject in social sciences. As a consequence, this paper will test different branches of new institutionalist theory against the empirical evidence of the comparative qualitative case study of anti-corruption policies in Ukraine and Estonia.
Given the institutional similarities at the beginning of both countries’ independent political trajectories, Ukraine and Estonia expose differences in how their anti-corruption policies are designed and how effective they are given their institutional context. By comparing the cases of anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine and Estonia, this thesis seeks to provide answers to the following research question: What factors explain the difference in the effectiveness and functionality of anti-corruption policies in Estonia and Ukraine?
On 13 January 2021, a corruption scandal rattled Estonia. The Estonian prime minister, his center party, and the party’s secretary-general were named as suspects in a criminal investigation. The investigation revolved around property development in Estonia’s capital Tallinn. A development project in the city’s port district had received a state loan for enterprises hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigation centered on whether people associated with the government used their political influence to help the developers to receive a large donation in party funds in return. The prime minister eventually resigned over the investigation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 0. German Thesis Summary.
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1. Relevance of the Research Topic
- 1.2. Grounds for a Comparative Case Study.
- 1.3. New Institutionalism as the Guiding Theory...
- 1.4. Research Question.
- 1.5. Structure….....
- 2. Corruption as a Phenomenon
- 2.1. Definition of Corruption .......
- 2.2. Different Types of Corruption..........\li>
- 2.2.1. Petty Corruption
- 2.2.2. Grand Corruption........
- 2.3. Conceptualization of Corruption
- 3. The Theory of New Institutionalism.....
- 3.1. New Institutionalism
- 3.2. Rational Choice Institutionalism………………….
- 3.3. Principal-Agent Theory
- 3.3.1. Principal-Agent Theory in an Anti-Corruption Context..\li>
- 3.4. Collective Action Theory......
- 3.4.1. Collective Action Theory in an Anti-Corruption Context..\li>
- 3.5. Historical Institutionalism .......
- 3.5.1. Historical Institutionalism in an Anti-Corruption Context.
- 3.6. Sociological Institutionalism..........\li>
- 3.6.1. Sociological Institutionalism in an Anti-Corruption Context
- 4. Research Design ......
- 4.1. Methodology in Anti-Corruption Studies
- 4.1.1. Qualitative Anti-Corruption Research.
- 4.1.2. Y-Centered Approaches
- 4.1.3. Qualitative Case Studies ....
- 4.1.4. Comparative Qualitative Case Studies.
- 4.1.5. Process-Tracing as a Method.......
- 4.2. Research Design.
- 4.2.1. Overview
- 4.2.3. Case Selection ………………
- 4.2.4. Comparative Case Study and Data Sources.
- 4.2.5. Process Tracing
- 4.2.6. Timeframe .....
- 4.2.7. Operationalization
- 4.2.8. Relevance
- 5. Case Studies
- 5.1. Estonia..........\li>
- 5.1.1. Political System .........
- 5.1.2. Democracy in Estonia
- 5.2. Case Study on Estonia
- 5.2.1. Transition into Independence.....
- 5.2.2. Transitional Elections and Institutional Changes.\n.38
- 5.2.3. Replacement of Soviet Elites.........
- 5.2.4. Reforms after Independence...
- 5.2.5. Citizenship Laws .....
- 5.2.6. Judicial Reform.........
- 5.2.7. Security Police........
- 5.2.8. Administrative Reforms
- 5.2.9. Privatization and Economic Reforms...\n
- 5.2.10. Consecutive Governments and Soviet Elites....
- 5.2.11. EU Membership
- 5.2.12. Cultural Factors.\n
- 5.2.13. E-Government...\n
- 5.2.14. Anti-Corruption Legislation\n
- 5.2.15. Developments after 2000
- 5.3. Conclusion on Estonia......
- 5.4. Ukraine
- 5.4.1. Political System .........
- 5.4.2. Democracy in Ukraine
- 5.4.3. Protest....\n
- 5.5. Case Study on Ukraine.....
- 5.5.1. History of Anti-Corruption Programs and Reforms\n.57
- 5.5.2. Petty Corruption .......\n
- 5.5.3. Anti-Corruption Programs after 2010..\n
- 5.5.4. Procurement Legislation...\n
- 5.5.5. Anti-Corruption Legislation.\n
- 5.5.6. Politicization of State Agencies .....\n
- 5.5.7. Anti-Corruption Reforms from 2014-2020.\n
- 5.5.8. New Anti-Corruption Agencies\n
- 5.5.9. The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC)..\n
- 5.5.10. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).\n
- 5.5.11. Obstruction of NABU Investigations .....\n
- 5.5.12. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) ......\n
- 5.5.13. The Dysfunctionality of SAPO............\n
- 5.5.14. The High Anti-Corruption Court (HAC).\n
- 5.5.15. Obstruction by the Constitutional Court...\n
- 5.5.16. Deeper Institutional Issues\n
- 5.5.17. Privatization and Economic Transformation\n
- 5.5.18. The Impact of External Actors ..........\n
- 5.5.19. Corruption of Parliamentary Groups ………………………….\n
- 5.5.20. Opposition against Anti-Corruption Policies\n
- 5.6. Conclusions on Ukraine......
- 5.6.1. Policies until 2014 ....
- 5.6.2. Anti-Corruption Agencies after 2014
- 5.6.3. Systemic Problems
- 6. Analysis
- 6.1. Principal-Agent Theory...
- 6.1.1. Application of the Theory....
- 6.1.2. Country Comparison
- 6.1.3. Evaluation of the Theory
- 6.2. Collective Action Theory ...
- 6.2.1. Application of the Theory.
- 6.2.2. Country Comparison
- 6.2.3. Evaluation of the Theory
- 6.3. Historical Institutionalism .....
- 6.3.1. Application of the Theory.
- 6.3.2. Country Comparison
- 6.3.3. Evaluation of the Theory
- 6.4. Sociological Institutionalism.....
- 6.4.1. Application of the Theory....
- 6.4.2. Comparison and Theory Evaluation
- 7. Final Conclusions
- 7.1. Control Mechanisms against Corruption...........
- 7.2. Universal Anti-Corruption Norms ........
- 7.3. Disruption of Historical Continuities
- 7.4. Effects of External Pressure
- 7.5. Outlook on Anti-Corruption Research....
- 8. References
- 9. German Translation of the Table of Contents
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This master's thesis examines the effectiveness and functionality of anti-corruption policies in Estonia and Ukraine. The research aims to understand how political measures and governance mechanisms influence corrupt practices in national contexts, both weakening and strengthening them.
- Defining corruption and exploring its different forms in national contexts.
- Analyzing the impact of institutional frameworks on anti-corruption efforts through the lens of New Institutionalism.
- Examining the role of historical factors and cultural context in shaping anti-corruption policies.
- Comparing the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures in Estonia and Ukraine, highlighting key differences and commonalities.
- Identifying the impact of external actors and international pressure on anti-corruption initiatives.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction establishes the relevance of the research topic, outlining the grounds for a comparative case study and introducing the theoretical framework of New Institutionalism. It also presents the research question and the structure of the thesis.
Chapter 2 provides a definition of corruption, explores different types of corruption, and examines conceptualizations of the phenomenon. Chapter 3 delves into the theory of New Institutionalism, focusing on rational choice institutionalism, principal-agent theory, collective action theory, historical institutionalism, and sociological institutionalism, applying these theories to the context of anti-corruption policies.
Chapter 4 outlines the research design, discussing methodology in anti-corruption studies, qualitative research methods, and process tracing. It details the case selection, data sources, and operationalization of the research. Chapter 5 presents case studies on Estonia and Ukraine, providing a detailed historical overview and exploring the development of anti-corruption policies in each country.
The analysis in Chapter 6 examines the applicability of the different theoretical frameworks from Chapter 3 to the Estonian and Ukrainian case studies. It evaluates the effectiveness of the theories in explaining variations in anti-corruption success.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Anti-corruption policies, comparative case study, Estonia, Ukraine, New Institutionalism, Principal-Agent Theory, Collective Action Theory, Historical Institutionalism, Sociological Institutionalism, political reform, governance, corruption, democracy, case study analysis.
- Quote paper
- Maximilian Fichter (Author), 2021, The Effectiveness and Functionality of Anti-Corruption Policies: A Comparative Case Study of Estonia and Ukraine, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1369784
