How Exceptional Is China’s Crony-Capitalist Boom?
A longstanding consensus holds that Western
industrialized economies achieved their unprecedented levels of prosperity only
by eradicating corruption, and that modern China's rapid GDP growth therefore
breaks the mold. But a clear-eyed appraisal of American history shows that
China is not so unique after all.
Mismeasuring Corruption Lets Rich Countries Off the Hook
Conventional
global corruption rankings are not only biased and one-dimensional, but
also ultimately misleading and harmful. Only by assessing the problem
across multiple dimensions can we begin to see how it manifests in
different contexts, including rich countries that tend to be considered
above reproach.