Defining and Measuring Corruption: from Where Have We Come, Where Are We Now, and What Matters for the Future?

This work explores the history of corruption measurement efforts in kin attempt to identify various criteria for classifying different measurement tools according to their strengths and weaknesses. It identifies four primary ways of distinguishing corruption measurement tools: 1) the scale and scope of indicators (what is actually being measured), 2) "inputs" versus "outputs" measurements, 3) the methodology and technical approach used to assemble a measurement tool, and 4) whether internal or external stakeholders participated in the measurement process. The paper also seeks to highlight best practices for users of corruption measurements, those in both the policy and academic communities Among the conclusions of this article are the need for users to combine a variety of complementary measurement tools rather than just rely on a single metric; the need for users to focus on "actionable" indicators rather than single-number rankings of corruption; and the utility of complementing quantitative measurements with political-economy analysis, thereby adding powerful context to what can otherwise be "empty numbers".