A Comparative Analysis of Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Germany and the UK

Both the UK and Germany have declared that tackling corruption is one of their key public policy goals.  Through 2015 the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has given a series of high profile speeches on anti-corruption and in 2016 the UK will be hosting a high-profile anti-corruption summit.  Germany, meanwhile, has recently ratified the United Nations' Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and is one of only four (out of 41) countries that is seen to be actively enforcing the OECD's anti-bribery convention.  Both countries seem to be talking a good game.  This paper uses an analytical framework based around the work of Shah and Schacter (2004) to assess the progress that has (and hasn't been made) since 2005.