Corruption and the quality of transportation infrastructure: evidence from the US states
| Author | Can Chen,Cheol Liu,Jekyung Lee |
| Published date | 01 June 2022 |
| Date | 01 June 2022 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0020852320953184 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Corruption and the
quality of transportation
infrastructure: evidence
from the US states
Can Chen
Florida International University, USA
Cheol Liu
KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Republic of
Korea
Jekyung Lee
Hainan University–Arizona State University Joint
International Tourism College (HAITC), Hainan University,
China
Abstract
Few studies have linked public corruption to the quality of public infrastructure, partic-
ularly in developed countries. This article examines how public corruption affects the
quality of transportation infrastructure in the context of the US states. Using state
panel data for the period from 2002 to 2008, we found that public corruption had a
negative impact on the quality of state roads, as captured by the International
Roughness Index and overall road condition scores. This study concludes that the
prevention of corruption is crucial to improving infrastructure quality and suggests
preventive policy tools.
Points for practitioners
Transportation is one of the more corruption-prone sectors. This sector allows public
officials discretion, attracts rent-seeking activities, and conceals malfeasance through
Corresponding author:
Cheol Liu, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, 263 Namsejong-ro Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
(30149).
Email: cliu@kdischool.ac.kr
International Review of Administrative
Sciences
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852320953184
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2022, Vol. 88(2) 552–569
International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
secretive transactions. Our study finds that public corruption diminishes the quality of
transportation infrastructure. Strengthening good governance is a critical way to
improve public infrastructure performance. A variety of key anti-corruption strategies
and actions are worth pursuing in the context of infrastructure development.
Keywords
corruption, quality of transportation infrastructure, US states
Introduction
This article examines how public corruption affects the quality of transportation
infrastructure in a sub-national context. Transportation was selected as the focus
of this study for a combination of theoretical and methodological reasons. To
begin with, transportation is one of the more corruption-prone sectors
(Kyriacou et al., 2015). Kottasova (2014) ranked it among the top three in this
regard—in large part, because it involves large and complex construction projects
on which it can be difficult to impose adequate and consistent quality control,
management, and evaluation measures. Further, because most infrastructure proj-
ects require official government approval and therefore facilitate rent-seeking
behaviors, the sector tends to be dominated by a small number of monopolistic
firms with close links to government officials. As with the study of other forms of
corruption, most existing studies of the impact of corruption on infrastructure and
transportation have dealt with transition and developing countries (Al-Saidi, 2018;
Gong, 2011; Kenny, 2009a, 2009b; Mashali, 2012; Quesada et al., 2013; Sancino
et al., 2018; Tanzi and Davoodi, 1998).
Transportation infrastructure is obviously important for the developed world
too, where this sector has also been shown to be corruption-prone. Thus, there is
also ample anecdotal evidence of corruption in the various departments of trans-
portation (DOTs) in the US states too. In one recent case, an employee of the
Georgia DOT was charged with accepting bribes (US DOT, 2015); in another,
three former employees of the South Carolina DOT and a contractor were charged
as part of a six-year corruption and kickback scheme that cost taxpayers more
than US$400,000 (Flach and Cope, 2016). These anecdotes invite more systemic
research into the impact of public corruption on these agencies and the quality of
transportation infrastructure they produce. This is the main objective of this study.
Moreover, the relative uniformity of DOTs across the US in terms of funding,
financing, and management facilitates this study (Neshkova and Guo, 2012).
The corruption literature generally defines corruption as the misuse of public
office for private gain. There is a large volume of cross-country studies identifying
the hazardous impacts of corruption on government spending, economic growth,
and social equality. However, few studies have linked public corruption to the
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Chen et al.
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