Old corruption what british history can tell us about corruption today

What, then, might we glean from looking at our own history of corruption? The first section of this report suggests that our modern notion of corruption (centred on bribery and probity in office-holding) has evolved in a particular way that is closely related to our past and that in the process alternative ways of thinking about corruption have been largely displaced.The second section examines how ideas about probity in public office evolved over time, arguing that this key element of our modern notion of corruption was the result of a protracted process that involved social and cultural change as well as, crucially, strengthening notions of power as entrusted by, and accountable to, the people. The third section looks more broadly at what factors facilitate anti-corruption.ii, 25 hlm, 29,8 x 21,1 c