Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 39 entries in this glossary.P
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Petty corruption |
"Petty" corruption (also called administrative or bureaucratic corruption) is the everyday corruption that takes place where bureaucrats meet the public directly. Petty corruption is also described as "survival" corruption ("corruption of need"): a form of corruption which is pursued by junior or mid-level agents who may be grossly underpaid and who depend on relatively small but illegal rents to feed and house their families and pay for their children's education. Although petty corruption usually involves much smaller sums than those that change hands in acts of "grand" or political corruption, the amounts are not "petty" for the individuals adversely affected. Petty corruption disproportionately hurts the poorest members of society, who may experience requests for bribes regularly in their encounters with public administration and services like hospitals, schools, local licensing authorities, police, taxing authorities and so on. |
| Political corruption |
The term "political corruption" is conceptualised in various ways through the recent literature on corruption. In some instances, it is used synonymously with "grand" or high-level corruption and refers to the misuse of entrusted power by political leaders. In others, it refers specifically to corruption within the political and electoral processes. In both cases, political corruption not only leads to the misallocation of resources, but it also perverts the manner in which decisions are made. |
| Protected disclosure |
A protected disclosure is a statement or report about serious wrongdoing, like corrupt conduct, maladministration or a substantial waste of public money. It is an admission or revelation that - when fulfilling certain requirements - entitles the person who made the disclosure to support and protection from reprisals, victimisation or even prosecution. Protected disclosures are made internally in the organisation, or to an Ombudsman or someone with the power to prevent retaliation against the discloser. See also whistle-blower protection. |