B5575 - POLITICS AND POLICIES OF ANTI-CORRUPTION

Anno Accademico 2025/2026

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Il corso permette agli studenti di sviluppare una comprensione generale delle strategie anticorruzione in diversi contesti nazionali, in Europa e in altri paesi al di fuori dell'Europa, e a livello transnazionale. Al termine del corso, gli studenti saranno in grado di: identificare diverse forme di corruzione, i loro meccanismi e le loro conseguenze nelle società; discutere come e perché diversi attori politici si impegnano/non si impegnano in diversi tipi di iniziative contro la corruzione; riconoscere i pro e i contro delle diverse strategie anticorruzione, degli strumenti politici e delle piattaforme, istituzionali e non; valutare il ruolo che tecnologie e media digitali hanno nelle iniziative anticorruzione, a livello nazionale, internazionale e transnazionale.

Contenuti

PART I – UNDERSTANDING CORRUPTION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

WEEK 1

Day 1 – Introduction

Day 2 - What is corruption and why it is important?

WEEK 2

Day 1 - How to measure corruption?

Day 2 - Country diagnosis: assessing corruption through different indicators

WEEK 3

Day 1 - Major theories on corruption and anti-corruption

Day 2 - Causes and consequences of corruption

 

PART II – CORRUPTION AND ANTI-CORRUPTION PARADOXES

WEEK 4

Day 1 - Influencing politics and impacting democracy

Day 2 - Corruption scandals and anti-corruption reforms

WEEK 5

Day 1 - Corruption as an international policy problem

Day 2 - Foreign aid, conflict settings and (anti-) corruption

WEEK 6

Day 1 - Rethinking corruption and anti-corruption: Global South vs Global North

Day 2 - Information, media, and (anti-) corruption

 

PART III – ANSWERS TO CORRUPTION

WEEK 7

Day 1 - Top-down efforts to control corruption

Day 2 - Bottom-up approaches to fighting corruption

WEEK 8

Day 1 – The role of governments, activists, civil society, international organisations, journalists and corporations

Day 2 – Mapping players, arenas and their interactions

WEEK 9

Day 1 - Innovating anti-corruption efforts: the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Day 2 – Anti-corruption technologies: benefits and pitfalls

WEEK 10

Day 1 – Who are the anti-corruption “champions”?

Day 2 – Wrap up of the course

 

The course is taught in English and consists of 40 hours of interactive lectures. A more detailed syllabus outlining the topics, readings, and other materials covered each week is available on the Virtuale platform.

Exchange students: the admission to optional courses of the LM/Master IR is allowed to incoming students at Master level.

As for undergraduate students, they must demonstrate to the Professor having already acquired competences in related disciplines connected to the topics covered by this course.

Testi/Bibliografia

Attending students are required to read and study all the compulsory readings listed and made available in due time on the Virtuale platform.

Non-attending students are required to read and study all the compulsory readings listed in the Course Contents section and the following books:

- Fisman, Raymond, and Miriam A. Golden. (2017). Corruption: What everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press.

- Holmes, Leslie. (2015). Corruption: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

All students are encouraged to consult and study the extra readings.

Metodi didattici

The course integrates lectures, in-depth case study analyses with presentations and discussions, and interactive sessions with students.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Students will be evaluated through two main tools:

· A final paper of 3,500-4,000 words about one of the topics covered during the course, to be agreed in advance with the instructor (50%)

· An oral exam that will cover the contents of compulsory readings and the student’s final papers (50%)

Attending students will have to attend at least 16 classes out of 20. Those students who will attend 15 or fewer classes will be considered non-attending students.

Please note that precise instructions on the final paper and the oral exam will be presented by the instructor during the first day of class and will be uploaded in the Virtual Platform in due time.

Non-attending students will be evaluated through two main tools:

· A final paper of 7,000-8,000 words (excluding references) about one of the topics covered during the course, to be agreed in advance with the instructor (50%)

· An oral exam that will cover the contents of compulsory readings and the students' final papers (50%)

Please note that readings for non-attending students are all the compulsory readings listed and made availbale on the Virtuale platform and the following books:

- Fisman, Raymond, and Miriam A. Golden. (2017). Corruption: What everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press.

- Holmes, Leslie. (2015). Corruption: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

All students are encouraged to consult and study the extra readings.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Presentazioni PowerPoint, materiali multimediali ed esercizi pratici supporteranno le attività di insegnamento e apprendimento.

Studenti/sse con DSA o disabilità temporanee o permanenti:

Si raccomanda di contattare per tempo l’ufficio di Ateneo responsabile (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): sarà sua cura proporre agli/lle studenti/sse interessati/e eventuali adattamenti, che dovranno comunque essere sottoposti, con un anticipo di 15 giorni, all’approvazione del/della docente, che ne valuterà l'opportunità anche in relazione agli obiettivi formativi dell'insegnamento.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Fernanda Odilla Vasconcellos De Figueiredo