The Cost of Bribery

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Brooks, Herb

Affiliations: 11039 N. 105 Ave., Sun City, AZ 85351-4103, USA. Tel. + 1 602 977 5715

Abstract: Quantitative data on bribery are sparse, for obvious reasons; only 20 cases are cited from U.S. history. In all 20 cases (a) there was a victim or victims, and (b) the victim's cost was greater than the bribe. The cost/bribe ratio was calculated and the cost was typically between seven and twenty times as great as the bribe; the median was 15. It is concluded that bribery is important to the economy and worth studying.

Keywords: Bribery, corruption, victim, (victim's) cost/bribe ratio

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-1993-12305

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 205-210, 1993