The puritanical quest to fight corruption is not a terrible one. It is merely insufficient. I hate corruption. It makes my blood boil. I want to punch someone if the nose if they ask me for a bribe. And that is why we should mistrust our instincts to make corruption the #1 fight; it is an emotional crusade, not a rational policy.
And anyone who thinks corruption blocks development should study their 19th century US history. Politics in New York, Washington, and Chicago make the Nigerians look like June Cleaver.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
An Affirmative Action/Corruption/Patronage Intermezzo
This from the blog of Yale professor Chris Blattman, in the context of Obama's Africa speech (h/t Dara):
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