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Corruption in the United States and China: codes of conduct vs. crackdowns

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Abstract

Previous research on China’s corruption and its continued, tolerated existence tended to focus on guanxi wang networks (informal gift-giving) and baohu san (protective “umbrellas” from enforcement). This article compares China with the United States and argues that enforcement results between the two countries are similar even though the mechanisms are distinct. Issues of system capacity and non-issue making explain the similar effects of these disparate methods (codes of conduct in the U.S. and anti-corruption crackdowns in China).

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Notes

  1. In China, a public procurator is an officer charged with both the investigation and prosecution of crime. The office is a feature of a civil law “inquisitorial,” rather than common law “adversarial,” system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 35487, Alabama, USA

    Adam K. Ghazi-Tehrani

  2. John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, 10019, New York, USA

    Henry N. Pontell

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  1. Adam K. Ghazi-Tehrani
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Correspondence to Adam K. Ghazi-Tehrani.

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Ghazi-Tehrani, A.K., Pontell, H.N. Corruption in the United States and China: codes of conduct vs. crackdowns. Crime Law Soc Change 73, 73–92 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-019-09848-3

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