The USA is #19 on the 2009 global "corruption perception" index

[Bluebear]

On the Transparency International list, that’s ahead of Barbados, Belgium, and Qatar but behind the UK (only just), Japan, Austria, Ireland, Germany, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, Denmark, and the country perceived to be the least corrupt on the globe, New Zealand.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score “measures the perceived level of public-sector corruption in 180 countries and territories around the world.” The CPI is based on 13 independent surveys. However, not all surveys include all countries.

Via Planet Money, Ranking Corruption podcast. This is not at all an America-bashing post. Listen for a compelling 12 minute discussion of the CPI. Life at the bottom of the index, Somalia at 180, is pretty tough; but I was most particularly interested in how our free-wheeling system of campaign finance through “political contributions” is perceived around the world.

http://themoderatevoice.com/58209/the-u-s-is-19-on-2009-corruption-perceptions-index/

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. FBI agent: Corruption is nations' No. 1 threat (related)

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/fbi-agent-corruption-is-nations-no-1-threat-120289.html

Thanks for that post, I'm glad people are discussing this. I think its a huge problem... But its hard to pin down. The pervasive US corruption isn't like slipping a couple of Somalian cops "beer money" to beat the rap, it's way deeper and more complex. In some cases you could say its institutionalized. And really, the public sector corruption is really a side effect of vast private sector madness.