Objectives

As these quotations attest, for as long as humans have organized themselves into political units, corruption has been a problem. For as long as humans have conferred authority on rulers there is always the threat that those rulers will use that authority for personal, rather than public, advantage. Despite the intimate connection between politics and corruption, the study of the "dark side" remains relatively under-studied by political scientists. 

The objective of this course is to shed some light on this "dark-side" by developing theoretical tools that will allow us to analyze this phenomenon across time and across countries. Armed with those analytical tools, we will examine examples of corruption ranging from Biblical times to contemporary Africa and from Renaissance Europe to the political machines of 19th-century urban America. This analysis then provides a foundation for examining what reforms might contribute to lessening corruption in our own society and those elsewhere in the world. Are humans naturally corrupt?; Is corrupt behavior absolute and universal or does it depend on location and context?; Indeed, can corruption sometimes be a good thing? 

This course satisfies UNC-Charlotte's "Understanding Values" general education goal (Goal III) since students be expected to: examine the assumptions, belief and values underlying their own conduct and the conduct of others and recognize the historical and cultural context of their own values. 
 

Readings

Three books have been selected as basic texts: 

1. Achinua Achebe, No Longer at Ease, New York: Doubleday, 1961. (hereafter Achebe) 
2. Anne Freedman, Patronage: An American Tradition, Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1994. (hereafter Freedman) 
3. Robert Klitgaard, Controlling Corruption, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988 (hereafter Klitgaard) 

Requirements

Participation and In-Class Activities. Although not an intimate seminar, this course is structured around give-and-take between students and instructor. I do it this way because I firmly believe that is only by engaging the material--by using it, by asking questions and formulating answers that you will come to know this material. As a result, this is not a course where passive learning will be very successful. Besides day-to-day participation, there will several other in-class activities such as participating in simulations and group exercises and presenting the results of your analysis. 
 

Written Assignments. There will be five short written assignments. The deadline for each is noted on the course timetable.
 

Debate. Each student will participate as a member of a 2 to 3-person team in a formal debate on a topic related to political corruption. These debates are scheduled throughout the semester. A list of debate topics and dates will be distributed during the first week of class. In addition to the oral presentations, each team will turn in a set of presentation notes and references at the time of the debate. Debate performance will be evaluated both by fellow students and the instructor. 
 

Term Project. Each student will complete a term project that demonstrates the student's ability to apply analytical concepts to actual situations. There are three options for satisfying this requirement. Option 1 is to write an extended analysis of the nature and extent of corruption in a country other than the United States. Option 2 is to prepare an in-depth analysis of a single incident of corrupt behavior, either contemporary or historical. Option 3 is to prepare commentaries on a set of articles clipped from newspapers, magazines, or journals or downloaded from the Internet that relate to political corruption. In each case the student will write 8 to 10 pages. Further guidance on each option will be offered during the first weeks of the semester. 
 

Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on the number of points you earn in satisfying the course requirements. There are a maximum of 600 points that can be earned, divided as follows: 
 

Requirement	Each  Worth  (points)	Total  (points)
Participation/In-Class Activities	---	50
Written Assignments	50	250
Debate	100	100
Term Project	200	200
Total		600

If you earn 540 or more points during the course, you will receive an A; 480 to 539 points will give you a B, 420 to 479 points a C, 360 to 4199 a D. An F will be awarded to those with fewer than 420 points.