Politics of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Latin America

This book investigates the history, development, and current state of anti-corruption agencies in Latin America.In recent decades, specialized anti-corruption agencies have sprung up as countries seek to respond to corruption and to counter administrative and political challenges. However, the characteristics, resources, power, and performance of these agencies reflect the political and economic environment in which they operate. This book draws on a range of case studies from across Latin America, considering both national anti-corruption bodies and agencies created and administered by, or in close coordination with, international organizations. Together, these stories demonstrate the importance of the political will of reformers, the private interests of key actors, the organizational space of other agencies, the position of advocacy groups, and the level of support from the public at large.This book will be a key resource for researchers across political science, corruption studies, development, and Latin American Studies. It will also be a valuable guide for policy makers and professionals in NGOs and international organizations working on anti-corruption advocacy and policy advice.

"Dedicated anti-corruption agencies are a favorite prescription for improving the quality of government, but their global track record is indifferent-to-dismal. Such agencies are rarely transformative interventions; rather, they are immersed in the systems, institutions, and procedures they are intended to change. This essential collection examines the problems and potential of such agencies throughout Latin America, offering a fresh view of reforms in the region and reassessing contemporary reform thinking."Michael Johnston, Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, Colgate University, USA"The case studies by a dream team of country experts examining anti-corruption agencies at both the national and international levels in Latin America provide critical insights into the political challenges these agencies face during their creation and operation; their interactions with economic, social and political dynamics; and the conditions behind success and failure. This must-read contribution to the literature brilliantly reveals the political context surrounding the on-going fight against corruption."Stephen D. Morris, Middle Tennessee State University, USA"Devising successful strategies to reduce rampant corruption is critical everywhere, especially in Latin America. The chapters in this important book showcase victories, and also the defeats from which anticorruption activists can learn how to improve their attacks on wholesale kleptocracy as well as on standard forms of state capture, money laundering, and graft. The anticorruption battle is ongoing and this can be one of its guides."Robert I. Rotberg, Harvard Kennedy School, USA; Anticorruption (2020), Corruption in Latin America (2019)

Joseph Pozsgai-Alvarez is specially appointed associate professor, School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Japan.