Fighting corruption: Civil society needs press freedom
The idea that a strong civil society helps to fight corruption has become a cornerstone of of governance policy. But is it true? In the current issue of Governance, Nuno Themudo of the University of Pittsburgh looks more closely at the conditions that make it possible for civil society to resist corruption. Themudo argues that press freedom “is critical in civil society efforts to generate pressure against corrupt officials. . . . Civil society strength has no significant impact on corruption in countries with less press freedom.” He finds “robust empirical support” for this claim. Free access to the article.
