Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2021 |
Outros Autores: | |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Revista Direito GV |
Texto Completo: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-24322021000200800 |
Resumo: | Abstract It is often assumed that checks and balances are effective in curbing corruption, in part because checks and balances are so often assumed to be synonymous with the separation of powers. We argue that checks and balances are only one of several potential manifestations of the separation of powers. We suggest that the apparent correlation between checks and balances and control of corruption is driven by a variety of conditions antecedent to both. Using examples from Western democracies, we demonstrate that the concept of checks and balances is by itself an empty vessel, made effective only by “hard” factors such as the balance of political forces and “soft” factors such as the adherence of elites to particular behavioral norms. This does not mean that checks and balances cannot be useful, but rather that our assumptions about their precise utility may be misinformed: the relationship between checks and balances and curbing corruption is at best indirect. |
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Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for CorruptionChecks and balancesseparation of powerscorruptionAbstract It is often assumed that checks and balances are effective in curbing corruption, in part because checks and balances are so often assumed to be synonymous with the separation of powers. We argue that checks and balances are only one of several potential manifestations of the separation of powers. We suggest that the apparent correlation between checks and balances and control of corruption is driven by a variety of conditions antecedent to both. Using examples from Western democracies, we demonstrate that the concept of checks and balances is by itself an empty vessel, made effective only by “hard” factors such as the balance of political forces and “soft” factors such as the adherence of elites to particular behavioral norms. This does not mean that checks and balances cannot be useful, but rather that our assumptions about their precise utility may be misinformed: the relationship between checks and balances and curbing corruption is at best indirect.Fundação Getulio Vargas, Escola de Direito de São Paulo2021-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-24322021000200800Revista Direito GV v.17 n.2 2021reponame:Revista Direito GVinstname:Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)instacron:FGV10.1590/2317-6172202120info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessDa Ros,LucianoTaylor,Matthew M.eng2021-08-25T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S1808-24322021000200800Revistahttps://direitosp.fgv.br/publicacoes/revista/revista-direito-gvhttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.php||revistadireitogv@fgv.br|| catarina.barbieri@fgv.br2317-61721808-2432opendoar:2021-08-25T00:00Revista Direito GV - Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
title |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
spellingShingle |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption Da Ros,Luciano Checks and balances separation of powers corruption |
title_short |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
title_full |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
title_fullStr |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
title_full_unstemmed |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
title_sort |
Checks and Balances: The Concept and Its Implications for Corruption |
author |
Da Ros,Luciano |
author_facet |
Da Ros,Luciano Taylor,Matthew M. |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Taylor,Matthew M. |
author2_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Da Ros,Luciano Taylor,Matthew M. |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Checks and balances separation of powers corruption |
topic |
Checks and balances separation of powers corruption |
description |
Abstract It is often assumed that checks and balances are effective in curbing corruption, in part because checks and balances are so often assumed to be synonymous with the separation of powers. We argue that checks and balances are only one of several potential manifestations of the separation of powers. We suggest that the apparent correlation between checks and balances and control of corruption is driven by a variety of conditions antecedent to both. Using examples from Western democracies, we demonstrate that the concept of checks and balances is by itself an empty vessel, made effective only by “hard” factors such as the balance of political forces and “soft” factors such as the adherence of elites to particular behavioral norms. This does not mean that checks and balances cannot be useful, but rather that our assumptions about their precise utility may be misinformed: the relationship between checks and balances and curbing corruption is at best indirect. |
publishDate |
2021 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2021-01-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-24322021000200800 |
url |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-24322021000200800 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
10.1590/2317-6172202120 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Fundação Getulio Vargas, Escola de Direito de São Paulo |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Fundação Getulio Vargas, Escola de Direito de São Paulo |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Revista Direito GV v.17 n.2 2021 reponame:Revista Direito GV instname:Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) instacron:FGV |
instname_str |
Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) |
instacron_str |
FGV |
institution |
FGV |
reponame_str |
Revista Direito GV |
collection |
Revista Direito GV |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Revista Direito GV - Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
||revistadireitogv@fgv.br|| catarina.barbieri@fgv.br |
_version_ |
1754115769502793728 |