Decentralization and Corruption [y tambores]

This paper has attempted to identify major drivers of corruption in order to isolate the role of centralized decision-making. In a sample of industrial and non-industrial countries, the lack of service orientation in the public sector, weak democratic institutions, economic isolation (closed economy), colonial past, internal bureaucratic controls and centralized decision- making are identified as the major causes of corruption. For a sample of non-industrial countries, drivers for corruption are lack of service orientation in the public sector, weak democratic institutions and a closed economy. Decentralization has a greater negative impact on corruption in unitary countries than in federal countries. In conclusion, decentralization is confirmed here to support greater accountability in the public sector and reduced corruption.

See the paper here. 

One of the handicaps of the paper is the small sample of countries. But still it tells an interesting story and the findings are also interesting. The question is how citizens can make the public servants to be more "service oriented." Some ideas come to mind. Probably the basic one is to give more information to the public saying that public servants are there to serve. Which is obvious but may be it is not for a large amount of people. 

[Hora de escuchar tambores aqui en Dakar].