LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION

This paper attempts to examine, from the Romanian perspective, the degree to which decentralization process and improvement of local governance contributes to the reduction of corruption in the short and medium term. Through the methodology that is used the paper is consistent with the international trend that endeavors to analyze the impact of corruption on economic and social processes at the local level. In addition, recent research on corruption issues has focused upon the measurement of the level of corruption level and on its impact on the growing rate of the GDP (Mauro [1995]1, Abed and Davoodi2), Krueger [1974]3), on the impact upon some of the national economical sectors (Tanzi [1998]4, Shang-Jin Wei [2001]5), or on the decentralization processes (Shah [2006]6).