Anita discusses with Chris Yenkey, Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina his research on corruption, misconduct, and political violence.

Corruption as a Collective Action Problem

Chris argues that corruption can be episodic at the individual level yet highly prevalent at a societal level. Using a traffic analogy, he illustrates how individually infrequent rule-breaking (like running red lights) accumulates into a systemic problem at population scale.

Why People Engage in Corruption

Rather than framing corruption as something people "legitimize," Chris emphasizes a simpler driver: short-term benefit combined with a low expectation of getting caught. He sees rational choice as the foundation, with social and cultural nuance layered on top.

Public Support for Corruption

His research shows that ordinary citizens sometimes become participants in corruption out of necessity — bribing a nurse for faster medical access, for example. Notably, his field experiments found that people who pay bribes to solve their own problems often view the exchange as mutually beneficial, not purely exploitative.

Transparency and the FCPA

Transparency has long been the standard remedy for corruption. However, Chris highlights a significant recent shift: the recent effective suspension of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), signaling that U.S. companies won't be penalized for corrupt practices in high-competition environments (e.g., mineral rights). Critically, the new guidelines still allow enforcement against foreign competitors — a selective application Chris finds remarkable.

What Should Be Done?

Rather than simply reinstating the old rules, Chris argues the world has changed enough — particularly around competition for critical minerals — that a new framework is needed. He's working on approaches to address the collective action problem by bringing suppliers and buyers together in fairer structures.

Reason for Optimism

Despite his concerns, Chris remains an optimist. He notes that the vast majority of people, even in the most corrupt environments, are cooperating and pro-social most of the time. His view: humans fundamentally want to help each other — they just need systems and structures that enable that cooperation rather than forcing zero-sum competition.