Corruption, Trust, the Public Sector and Public Policies

Many studies show that the levels of both corruption and trust have implications for economic growth, the functioning of democratic institutions, life satisfaction and a host of other important aspects of politics and economics. Corruption and trust affect the size, activities and effectiveness of the public sector and the very existence of a welfare state. The purpose of this workshop is to shed light on these relationships. We welcome comparative papers addressing questions such as: How is the public sector influenced by levels of corruption and trust? Which policies provide efficient solutions to problems of corruption and/or distrust? Which institutional and policy innovations may provide effective means to reduce corruption and/or distrust? How can implementation issues be overcome? How is the public sector linked to corruption and trust in societies? We are overall interested in contributions analyzing and comparing policies in countries with different governance systems, public sector characteristics and involving a variety of levels of corruption and trust.