R. Mark Isaac

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on corruption generated by recent laboratory and field experiments conducted by economists and political scientists. The first part of the volume reviews the evidence produced by laboratory experiments in relation to gender and cultural differences in corruption decision-making, as well as the effectiveness of different anti-corruption policies. This part concludes with an assessment of the external validity of corruption investigations relying on laboratory experiments. The second part of the volume reviews recent contributions to corruption research made through the use of field experiments. Special attention is given to advances in measuring corruption in the field, investigations of clientelism and vote-buying, and the role that information can play in the fight against corruption. A critical assessment of the effectiveness of top-down and bottom-up anti-corruption interventions completes this section. The volume concludes with important reflections on the role that behavioral and experimental economics can play in anti-corruption research and practice.