In Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, elites have been ousted or jailed and put on trial for the theft of public funds a victory, to be sure, in the struggle against corruption. But what can be done to guarantee that new elites will be less corrupt than their predecessors?
Meanwhile, amid efforts to recover countless millions from corrupt ex-leaders, midlevel and smalltime corruption persists from the petty bureaucrat who demands a bribe for a drivers license to the business owner who pays a kickback for a government contract. These comparatively modest cases of graft, when viewed together, can add up to millions too. What can be done to stop these lesser forms of corrupt behavior?
The answer to both these questions begins with the observation that all forms of corruption small-time, mid-level, and that of the highest magnitude are linked. Graft at the upper levels can serve as an excuse for people of comparatively modest means to pay and accept bribes too. And among poor and middle class people who strive to climb the social ladder, those who grew up tolerating corruption are liable to continue doing so as they gain power and wealth. Moreover, low-level corruption creates a climate of tolerance for corruption at upper levels, creating a vicious cycle. All members of society are to some degree a product of their culture, as well as contributors to their culture by virtue of the values they espouse and the behavior they model for others. In a culture that tolerates corruption anywhere, the society is liable to suffer the effects of corruption everywhere.
The best way to ensure that new elites do not emulate the corrupt behavior of their predecessors is to build a broad-based culture that supports the rule of law a culture of lawfulness. The rule of law, a set of principles you can read about here (HYPERLINK), calls for all members of society to be equally accountable under just laws overseen by the people. While police and courts are essential in working toward this ideal, the rule of law can only prevail in a culture that reinforces it through the beliefs and actions of the majority of the population. Where the majority live lawfully, participate in discussions about the rule of law actively, and reject corruption in all its forms, it is possible to stigmatize and sharply reduce corrupt behavior among government officials from top to bottom, and among the broader society.
Thus, for example, a given population can come together to change the culture of bribery in the bureaucracy. Citizens can refuse to pay bribes, and lawfully minded bureaucrats can report corrupt behavior among their peers to police and the judiciary. As a new generation of government officials achieve more senior positions, they are more likely to bring the culture of lawfulness along with them into the corridors of power. Concerted efforts to introduce the culture of lawfulness in societies as far-flung as the South American nation of Columbia, the southern Italian province of Palermo, and the Asian city-state of Hong Kong have demonstrated that great strides toward a culture of lawfulness can be achieved within a generation. (For more information on these three examples, and the culture of lawfulness generally, read here (hyperlink).
Only a culture of lawfulness can ensure that yesterdays corrupt elites are not succeeded by new corrupt elites. Building the culture of lawfulness takes time, so it is essential that we begin the effort now.