Corruption and Social Human Rights in Developing Countries: Case of Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, and India
Abstract
In this chapter we analyze the effects of corruption on social human rights in developing countries. We have chosen four developing countries, namely, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, and India.
Moreover, we focus on factors that contribute to the intensity of corruption such as the historical and cultural background of countries. There are several other factors that promote corruption, for instance, Tanzi (1998) identifies two types of factors, i.e., direct and indirect.
Direct factors include regulations, taxation, public spending, and lobby investments in political parties. Indirect factors include a bureaucratic system, wages of public officials, institutions, and rule of law.
However, corruption has been investigated within the economic (economic growth) and political (effect on democracy) spectrum (in terms of efficiency, investment, and fiscal expenditure), but not much attention has been given to investigating its social implications. Since the problem of corruption is quite complicated, it carries adverse effects and intimidates education, health, justice, social trust in institutions, etc.
Arora (2009) argues that the poor class of a society suffers from inequality because of corruption; however, the poor are unable to hold the rich accountable for corruption. Since corruption is deeply rooted in developing countries, minimal attention is given to it by politicians; also, the issue of corruption has not been considered as serious as it should be; no serious course of action has been mobilized against corruption.
This research seeks to review literature and analyze data on the social implications of corruption in the public sector. The focus of this paper remains on the developing countries such as Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, and India.
These countries have their social, economic, and political similarities and differences (discussed below); similarly the patterns and extent of corruption vary among them.