If You Want To Cut Corruption, Cut Government
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New evidence of corruption by leading politicians and businesses is surfacing in virtually every corner of the globe. The list of kickback, payoff, and bribery scandals seems endless: Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Nigeria are in the news now, but few countries have escaped unscathed. There is no magic bullet to cure this disease. Nevertheless, much smaller, democratic, and businesslike governments would help a lot.
People like to think the bribery in their country is unique--that their politicians, bureaucrats, and businesspeople are especially venal. But the source of official corruption is the same everywhere: large governments with the power to dispense many goodies to different groups.