This book addresses the issue of corruption in politics and the society in contemporary era and examines the links between theory and practice of corruption in economic, political and social institutions of the world in general and India in particular. The book covers- the meaning and nature of corruption; political corruption and its consequences; the theoretical and empirical links between corruption and governance on one hand and political institutions on the other; the history and various forms of political corruption in India; the links between corruption, economic growth and the quality of political institutions; role of social networks and social capital to engage in collective action against corruption; the conceptual differences between civil society and NGOs; the interaction among trade liberalization, governmental corruption and environmental policies; corruption and the efficiency of electricity distribution firms in Latin America; the challenges of corruption in the Indian health sector; the motivational structure guiding the African population in the choice between corrupt and non-corrupt behaviour and how overzealous promotion and insensitive application of anti-corruptionism may have negative rather than positive outcomes depending upon various factors operating in any given place and time. About the Author Anjana Banerjee born in Calcutta and educated in Patna, is a noted scholar and assistant professor of Political Science in Magadh University, Gaya. As a keen researcher, she has written a number of research papers and articles, which have been published in reputed journals and newspapers. She takes keen interest in academic and cultural activities. Her prominent publications include, Theory of Social Leadership (2004), Habermas's Theory of the Neo-Marxist Criticism (2005) and Working Class Movement (2010). Table of Contents Preface 1. Introduction 2. Theorising Corruption 3. Political Corruption 4. Corruption and Political Institutions 5. Changing Conceptions of Political Corruption 6. Political Corruption in India 7. Governance, Corruption and Inefficiency 8. Social Networks, Social Capital and Corruption 9. Fighting Corruption by NGOs 10. Trade Liberalisation, Corruption, and Environmental Policy Formation 11. Corruption and Inefficiency of Electricity Distribution 12. Corruption in the Health Sector 13. Mischaracterisation of Anti-Corruption Policies 14. Anti-Corruption Movement and Anti-Corruptionism Appendices Bibliography Index