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This book deploys a long-term account of political corruption in Britain to explain the phenomenon of corruption as it resides within the state and the contemporary problem of corruption denial among members of the political class. It aims to satisfy the concern about corruption and identify potential causes and significance. The book provides and account of definitions of corruption and how those definitions have changed over time. Throughout the succeeding chapters it discusses public life and how ethical considerations for public office holders have evolved over time. This book argues that corruption is not just a concern about politics and understanding corruption requires a multi-disciplinary approach: history; political science; sociology; anthropology and urban ethnography.
List of contents
1. Corruption: Concepts and Discourses.- 2. Corruption in Medieval England c.1215-c.1485.- 3. Corruption in Early Modernity c.1485-1688.- 4. The Old Corruption c1688-c.1832.- 5. Reform of Parliament and Elections c.c.1832-c1912.- 6. Reform: Success and Failure; Civil Service and Conflict of Interest.- 7. Politics restructured and the crisis of the Cities c.1912-1988.- 8. Empire: From Corrupt Extraction to Civilising Mission c.1757-1936.- 9. The Way We Live Now c1986-c2023.
