KickBack - The Global Anticorruption Podcast KickBack
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- Science
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This podcast series features in-depth interviews with a wide range of corruption experts, on questions such as:
What have we learned from 20+ years of (anti)corruption research?
Why and how does power corrupt?
Which theories help to make sense of corruption?
What can we do to manage corruption?
How to recovery stolen assets?
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109. The links between corruption and national security issues
In this episode Gretta Fenner (Managing Director, Basel Institute on Governance) and Daniel Eriksson (CEO, Transparency International) talk to Liz Dávid-Barrett (Centre for the Study of Corruption) about the links between corruption and national security issues. The episode follows from the Munich Security Conference where Daniel and Gretta raised the issue of corruption as a key policy concern. The group discuss the new global context of heightened insecurity and the implications this has for those working to counter corruption.
Liz also asks Daniel and Gretta about "strategic corruption", defined in the US Strategy on Countering Corruption as "when a government weaponizes corrupt practices as a tenet of its foreign policy". This is a term which has gained significant policy attention. It however raises questions as to whether using the term involves anti-corruption campaigners "picking sides" in this new context of global insecurity . -
108. Alison Taylor on anti-corruption in the changing landscape for business ethics
Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Stern School of Business, speaks to Prof. Dan Hough (Centre for the Study of Corruption) on the topic of business ethics.
Alison talks about her early career investigating corruption by businesses before she moved into the broader space of corporate responsibility and business ethics. Alison describes the impact of international anti-bribery laws on businesses but also raises some questions about the corporate compliance regimes these laws have created.
Alison's new book, Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World, looks at these and other critical questions around ethics for businesses. -
107. Introduction to defining corruption
In this episode, Liz Dávid-Barrett, Becky Dobson-Phillips and Dan Hough (all Centre for the Study of Corruption) talk through some of the key considerations involved in defining corruption. They begin by discussing the strengths and limitations of the mainstream public office centred definition of corruption developed by Joseph S Nye (see below). Becky then introduces a new conceptual framework for defining corruption in context. This covers different dimensions to corruption, including notable contemporary manifestations.
Aimed at students new to the study of corruption, this is the latest in Kickback's series providing introductions to important debates in the corruption field. Similar episodes on corruption theory (Episode 98) and corruption measurement (Episode 93) can be found in the tracklist.
A link to the paper discussed can be found here: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=csc-wp-series-dobson-et-al-defining-corruption-final.pdf&site=405
For reference, the Nye definition of corruption is as follows
“Behaviour which deviates from the formal duties of a public role because of private regarding (personal, close family, private clique) pecuniary or status gains; or violates rules against the exercise of certain types of private-regarding influence.” (Nye 1967) -
106. Sankhitha Gunaratne on combating state capture in Sri Lanka
Continuing our chapter on kleptocracy and state capture, this episode features Sankhitha Gunaratne, Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International Sri Lanka. She speaks to Liz David-Barrett (Centre for the Study of Corruption) about TI's work to combat state capture in the country.
The recent economic crisis in Sri Lanka has laid bare the extent to which kleptocratic actors have captured key pillars of the state. Sankhitha describes the different tactics used, including the suppression of accountability institutions and militarisation of key government positions. She then outlines TI's response, which has included the use of strategic litigation and leveraging the influence of international financial institutions.
There are lots of lessons here for understanding how state capture develops and how it is possible to fight back. -
105. Daniel Freund on the responsibilities of the European Union in fighting corruption.
Daniel Freund is a Member of the European Parliament and former Head of Advocacy for European Union Integrity at Transparency International. In this episode he speaks to Prof. Dan Hough about the different dimensions to the EU's fight against corruption.
The discussion starts with the struggle to protect EU institutions from undue influence, a problem illustrated by Qatargate, a lobbying scandal Daniel describes as the "tip of the iceberg". Daniel also discusses challenges in building institutional resilience to corruption within potential accession countries as well as EU member states themselves. This includes thinking through some of the key challenges, such as how should the EU be responding to autocratic regimes like Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary? -
104. Anti-corruption political parties: how do they emerge and what is their track record?
Dr. Andreas Bågenholm (University of Gothenburg) and Dr. Rekha Diwakar (University of Sussex) join Prof. Dan Hough to discuss anti-corruption political parties. These parties have proliferated in different parts of the world in the last two decades. Andreas and Rekha draw on their research in Europe and India respectively to talk about where these parties come from and what they stand for. The group then look at how these parties have actually performed when they have entered into government, assessing in particular the track record of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. We learn how these parties tend to evolve over time and can even become caught up in accusations of corruption involving their own members.
Customer Reviews
High quality interviews on anticorruption
The best podcast on corruption I know of. Episodes cover a broad range of topics around corruption, the guests are knowledgeable and interesting to listen to, and the interviewers use the right amount of pushback. Always happy to see new episodes. Congrats!
Kowsar Gowhari
This podcast provides a deep dive into the complicated topic of corruption, ways to combat it, assessment of last strategies and lessons learned and explores ways forward. I listened to some of the episodes several times. Lots of eye opening discussions! Thanks to the people who produce it!
One of a kind
This podcast is great on so many fronts, I always enjoy listening to it because it not only helps give an overarching glimpse of the research field, but it also brings together scholars and practitioners from very different walks of both scholarship and practice. It also gives context to how corruption affects the real world, outside of the realm of research. Thanks for a terrific job guys.