Says BBC, Haiti is Most Corrupt Country...Iraq tied for 2nd

[Katana]

According to Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization, Haiti ranks first as being perceived as the most corrupt country.

This is the top ten of the worst:

Haiti
Burma
Iraq (tied with Burma and Guinea)
Guinea
Sudan
DR Congo
Chad
Bangladesh
Uzbekistan
Equatorial Guinea

The 10 least corrupt countries:

Finland
Iceland
New Zealand
Denmark
Singapore
Sweden
Switzerland
Norway
Australia
Netherlands

The article includes these tidbits, as well.

Another TI study published last month, found that firms from China and India were most willing to pay bribes abroad to do business.

French and Italian firms were named as the worst culprits for paying bribes in low-income countries.

BBC Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6120522.stm)

Now this is all very interesting, but I wondered how they went about figuring out these rankings. So I went to their website.

This is how they describe their methodology:

The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), launched today by Transparency International (TI), points to a strong correlation between corruption and poverty, with a concentration of impoverished states at the bottom of the ranking.

{snip}

The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite index that draws on multiple expert opinion surveys that poll perceptions of public sector corruption in 163 countries around the world, the greatest scope of any CPI to date. It scores countries on a scale from zero to ten, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and ten indicating low levels of perceived corruption.

Who are these experts? And would it not be more accurate for the BBC to say that Haiti is perceived as being the most corrupt country? OK. Yes, it's semantics.

Countries with a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption include: Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Jordan, Laos, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and the United States.

Interesting company we keep here.

Countries with a significant improvement in perceived levels of corruption include: Algeria, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Paraguay, Slovenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uruguay.
Lebanon? I found that a bit of a surprise.

Transparency International (http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2006/en_2006_11_06_cpi_2006)

Complete Rankings (http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2006)

I do wonder what the world is to do with this information.

[geni]

Lebanon? I found that a bit of a surprise.



Start low enough and improvment is easy.

[Katana]

Start low enough and improvment is easy.

True.

[Dr Adequate]

In fact, you've never heard of the world's most corrupt country.

They bribed all the cartographers.

[Pardalis]

It kind of puts things in perspective.

Last year, we had a major corruption scandal in Canada, and we're still the 14th least corrupt country...

[Nick Bogaerts]

Who are these experts? And would it not be more accurate for the BBC to say that Haiti is perceived as being the most corrupt country? OK. Yes, it's semantics.

Yes, it is an index of perception of corruption, mostly by bankers and other businesmen.


Here's the methodology used: http://www.icgg.org/downloads/CPI_2006_Methodology.pdf

[Katana]

Yes, it is an index of perception of corruption, mostly by bankers and other businesmen.


Here's the methodology used: http://www.icgg.org/downloads/CPI_2006_Methodology.pdf

Thanks, Nick. That link provides a very thorough description. Interesting.

[DanishDynamite]

According to Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization, Haiti ranks first as being perceived as the most corrupt country.

....

The 10 least corrupt countries:

Finland
Iceland
New Zealand
Denmark
Singapore
Sweden
Switzerland
Norway
Australia
Netherlands
Hmmm. All Scandinavian countries (even Iceland) are in the top 10, as expected.

I read somewhere that always getting confirmation that you are the best isn't healthy in the long run. Thoughts?

[NoZed Avenger]

Hmmm. All Scandinavian countries (even Iceland) are in the top 10, as expected.

I read somewhere that always getting confirmation that you are the best isn't healthy in the long run. Thoughts?


Yep. This process shows why Randi insists that the results be double-blinded.

[Katana]

Hmmm. All Scandinavian countries (even Iceland) are in the top 10, as expected.

I read somewhere that always getting confirmation that you are the best isn't healthy in the long run. Thoughts?

Perception = reality?

[DanishDynamite]

Yep. This process shows why Randi insists that the results be double-blinded.
:)

You don't accept the results?

[DanishDynamite]

Perception = reality?
Any chance you could be a bit more specific?

[Katana]

Any chance you could be a bit more specific?

Sorry. The story, which the BBC begins by saying that Haiti is the world's most corrupt country, is actually covering the results of a study using the Corruptions Perception Index (CPI). It reflects the perception of corruption in these countries among various experts surveyed.

So I was getting at whether the perception of corruption (or lack thereof) equals reality.

[DanishDynamite]

Sorry. The story, which the BBC begins by saying that Haiti is the world's most corrupt country, is actually covering the results of a study using the Corruptions Perception Index (CPI). It reflects the perception of corruption in these countries among various experts surveyed.

So I was getting at whether the perception of corruption (or lack thereof) equals reality.
OK.

In general I don't think it does. At all. No matter how many people "percieve" that their God exists, this doesn't suddenly result in His/Her creation.

However, if you interview a very large number of international businessmen on their experience or perception of corruption in various countries, this doesn't involve much wishfull thinking but just the relaying of a vast amount of business experience.

[NoZed Avenger]

:)

You don't accept the results?


I have no idea how valid the results may be, but the method for subjectively estimating something as vague as "corruption" across cultures seems a bit dicey. I would prefer something a little more objective.

[Darth Rotor]

I have no idea how valid the results may be, but the method for subjectively estimating something as vague as "corruption" across cultures seems a bit dicey. I would prefer something a little more objective.
What he said.

As to perception:

"All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
lie, lie, lie, . . ."

DR

[Nick Bogaerts]

One may argue that the perception of corruption is in itself worth measuring. An potential investor may be wary of a country he perceives as being corrupt, so it is possible that the perception causes a higher loss of revenue than the corruption itself.

[NoZed Avenger]

One may argue that the perception of corruption is in itself worth measuring. An potential investor may be wary of a country he perceives as being corrupt, so it is possible that the perception causes a higher loss of revenue than the corruption itself.

I think it does have value, I just have some reservations that it is showing actual corruption, especially given the varied cultures being included.

[DanishDynamite]

I have no idea how valid the results may be, but the method for subjectively estimating something as vague as "corruption" across cultures seems a bit dicey. I would prefer something a little more objective.
In what sense is this survey not objective?

[NoZed Avenger]

"Not objective" -- in the sense that it is completely subjective.

[jay gw]

Iraq has dropped about 17 places since 2003.

[Luciana]

"Not objective" -- in the sense that it is completely subjective.

And I very much doubt that results are exempt from prejudices of all kinds, including religious and racial. Unfortunately, businessmen bring their pet beliefs and prejudices with them, and once they act on them - especially in an issue like bribery - this might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[skeptifem]

i am suprised nigeria isnt in the top ten if its about percieving corruption. Especially since a lot of the things listed are business related. Defrauding legit businesses is a large industry there.

[Katana]

i am suprised nigeria isnt in the top ten if its about percieving corruption. Especially since a lot of the things listed are business related. Defrauding legit businesses is a large industry there.

Nigeria was pretty low. This is where it fell relative to the bottom of the list. A lot of countries share the same scores.

You could say that it was part of a nine-way tie for 5th most corrupt (perceived).

142 Angola 2.2 5 1.9 - 2.4

142 Congo, Republic 2.2 4 2.2 - 2.3

142 Kenya 2.2 7 2.0 - 2.4

142 Kyrgyzstan 2.2 6 2.0 - 2.6

142 Nigeria 2.2 7 2.0 - 2.3

142 Pakistan 2.2 6 2.0 - 2.4

142 Sierra Leone 2.2 3 2.2 - 2.3

142 Tajikistan 2.2 6 2.0 - 2.4

142 Turkmenistan 2.2 4 1.9 - 2.5

151 Belarus 2.1 4 1.9 - 2.2

151 Cambodia 2.1 6 1.9 - 2.4

151 Côte d´Ivoire 2.1 4 2.0 - 2.2

151 Equatorial Guinea 2.1 3 1.7 - 2.2

151 Uzbekistan 2.1 5 1.8 - 2.2

156 Bangladesh 2.0 6 1.7 - 2.2

156 Chad 2.0 6 1.8 - 2.3

156 Congo, Democratic Republic 2.0 4 1.8 - 2.2

156 Sudan 2.0 4 1.8 - 2.2

160 Guinea 1.9 3 1.7 - 2.1

160 Iraq 1.9 3 1.6 - 2.1

160 Myanmar 1.9 3 1.8 - 2.3

163 Haiti 1.8 3 1.7 - 1.8

[Francesca R]

it is completely subjective.I'm not sure how you could get an objective survey of the ranking of states against any standard of behaviour. But would anyone argue that surveys like this decrease public knowledge (compared to—the absence of the survey)?Unfortunately, businessmen bring their pet beliefs and prejudices with them, and once they act on them - especially in an issue like bribery - this might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.What stops it becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy is that it is in the self-interest of businesses and governments to engage with entities in other states if the financial returns from doing so are greater than the costs (and compared with the competing alternatives). Also it is in the interest of failing states not to fail, nor to be perceived to be failing.

What helps it become self-fulfilling though is that economic agents cluster around what others are doing, and it's a rare CEO who wants to take the risk of sponsoring their company’s first new project in Sudan. Also what helps is that the anti-capitalist movement would agitate to keep investment out of failing states because (they argue) it either (1) lines the coffers of corrupt regimes and/or (2) exploits their people.

[luchog]

Nigeria was pretty low. This is where it fell relative to the bottom of the list.

Interesting ranking, considering that Nigeria is one of the most prolific centers for international financial fraud in the world; and the law enforcement and judicial systems are notoriously corrupt and ineffectual.

[Tony]

I read somewhere that always getting confirmation that you are the best isn't healthy in the long run. Thoughts?

I'd agree. Being told you're always the best could lead to a situation where introspection is frowned upon or scoffed at. I think we're seeing this happen before our eyes in the USA right now where criticism is perceived as being anti-American.

[DanishDynamite]

"Not objective" -- in the sense that it is completely subjective.
It is a survey. If by "subjective" you mean that each person is necessarily subjective when giving their input, then yes, it is subjective. As are all surveys.

[DanishDynamite]

And I very much doubt that results are exempt from prejudices of all kinds, including religious and racial. Unfortunately, businessmen bring their pet beliefs and prejudices with them, and once they act on them - especially in an issue like bribery - this might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I very much doubt they are too. But that's why, when you do a survey, you ask more than one person. To even out the individual exentricities.