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Measuring corruption in Europe: public opinion surveys and composite indices

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An Erratum to this article was published on 19 July 2016

Abstract

This article offers a concise overview of composite indices and public opinion surveys measuring corruption perception and bribery on the European level and ascertains their quality and usefulness based on several criteria. Specifically, this article covers measures by the World Bank (Control of Corruption), Transparency International (Corruption Perception Index and Global Corruption Barometer), European Social Survey, International Social Survey Programme, World Values Survey, and Eurobarometer. First, this article discusses the measures from the qualitative point of view, especially from the point of country and time coverage and possibility of microanalysis and analysis in time. Then, these measures are analysed from the quantitative point of view. This article concludes which measures are best to use for statistical analyses focusing on corruption perception and experience with bribery. Such an analysis has not been done yet on corruption indicators and can prevent errors in future research.

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Fig. 1

Source WVS, wave 3 (1995–1998)

Fig. 2

Source CC, CPI

Fig. 3

Source CC, CPI

Fig. 4

Source GCB, ESS, ISSP, Eurobarometer

Fig. 5

Source GCB, Eurobarometer

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Notes

  1. For an overview of wider selection of indicators on the world scale please see for example Malito (2014).

  2. For various theories and research addressing this topic please see (Bukovansky 2006; Heidenheimer and Johnson 2002; Rothstein and Torsello 2013; Thompson and Shah 2005).

  3. Different scholars divide the measures into different generations, but this article uses the division by Graycar and Smith (2011).

  4. Some authors (e.g. Graycar and Smith 2011) include also tools measuring specific parts of corruption into the second type of indicators such as Global Integrity Index or Open Budget Index. Moreover, company polls are included into the second generation of indices.

  5. For the exact methodology of the CC please see Kaufmann et al. (2004) and for the methodology of CPI see Lambsdorff (2007). For more in depth literature on the differences between the methodology of CPI and CC please see Malito (2014), Rohwer (2009) or Knack (2006).

  6. However, this effect is present in all years.

  7. Eurobarometer 2013 did not include judiciary therefore I included public prosecutors, ISSP included only politicians and public officials in their questionnaire therefore I use public officials and WVS analyses corruption among public officials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Kristyna Chabova

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  1. Kristyna Chabova
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Correspondence to Kristyna Chabova.

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This paper was supported by the grant of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports nb. LM2015066.

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-016-0385-3.

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Chabova, K. Measuring corruption in Europe: public opinion surveys and composite indices. Qual Quant 51, 1877–1900 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-016-0372-8

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