Corruption is an ancient practice that has been traced back to pre-biblical times and made itself known in the ancient civilizations of China, Greece, India and Rome. Despite corruption’s long history, the 1990s witnessed a decline in public acceptance. Increasingly, corruption has become an elections issue in numerous countries.
Moreover, corruption scandals helped unseat governments in Ecuador, Brazil, India, and Italy and have shaken long-entrenched ruling parties in Japan and Mexico. In Thailand, the 1997 Constitution set up two new agencies specifically to fight corruption. There are numerous reasons for this new intolerance. To begin, the Cold War is over. The freeing up of the former Soviet bloc countries has provided new information regarding the degree of corruption that has reigned in Eastern Europe. This surge in freedom has not been limited strictly to Eastern Europe. In 1996, Freedom House, a human rights organization, classified 61 percent, or 117 nations, as free and democratic. This was a jump from 42 percent in just ten years. While democracies are by no means immune from corruption, greater transparency, a free press, an independent legislature, and political competition may resist corruption more effectively than autocratic states.