The salary raise that funded more bribe attempts, not fewer
From True Cover Ups · 26:13
Show by OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
Ghana doubles police salaries, expecting corruption to disappear. Instead, a six-year study reveals an unexpected surge in bribery.The salary raise that funded more bribe attempts, not fewerThis episode explores the surprising outcome of a policy designed to combat corruption, where a significant salary increase for police officers in Ghana led to an escalation in bribe attempts and amounts. It delves into the underlying economic theories and the real-world data that challenged long-held assumptions.Country: GhanaPeriod: 2010-2016Topic: CorruptionResearchers: Foltz and Opoku-AgyemangEconomic Theories: Efficiency wage theory, Becker and Stigler's rational actor model- In 2010, Ghana doubled the salaries of its police officers, a move based on the theory that fair pay reduces corruption.- Two researchers tracked 2,100 truck journeys along the Ghana-Burkina Faso corridor over six years to observe the impact.- The study found that after the salary increase, bribe amounts, total payments, and the effort to extort drivers all went up.- The intellectual foundation for the salary raise approach dates back to economists Gary Becker and George Stigler in the 1970s.- Economist Klaus Abbink's lab experiment on the "fairness channel" showed that officials' behavior regarding bribes did not change with fair wages.Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7294779© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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