The Effectiveness and Functionality of Anti-Corruption Policies: A Comparative Case Study of Estonia and Ukraine

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 0. German Thesis Summary.
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1. Relevance of the Research Topic
• 1.2. Grounds for a Comparative Case Study.
• 1.3. New Institutionalism as the Guiding Theory...
• 1.4. Research Question.
• 1.5. Structure….....
• 2. Corruption as a Phenomenon
• 2.1. Definition of Corruption .......
• 2.2. Different Types of Corruption..........\li>
  • 2.2.1. Petty Corruption
  • 2.2.2. Grand Corruption........
• 2.3. Conceptualization of Corruption
• 3. The Theory of New Institutionalism.....
• 3.1. New Institutionalism
• 3.2. Rational Choice Institutionalism………………….
• 3.3. Principal-Agent Theory
• 3.3.1. Principal-Agent Theory in an Anti-Corruption Context..\li>
• 3.4. Collective Action Theory......
• 3.4.1. Collective Action Theory in an Anti-Corruption Context..\li>
• 3.5. Historical Institutionalism .......
• 3.5.1. Historical Institutionalism in an Anti-Corruption Context.
• 3.6. Sociological Institutionalism..........\li>
  • 3.6.1. Sociological Institutionalism in an Anti-Corruption Context
• 4. Research Design ......
• 4.1. Methodology in Anti-Corruption Studies
• 4.1.1. Qualitative Anti-Corruption Research.
• 4.1.2. Y-Centered Approaches
• 4.1.3. Qualitative Case Studies ....
• 4.1.4. Comparative Qualitative Case Studies.
• 4.1.5. Process-Tracing as a Method.......
• 4.2. Research Design.
• 4.2.1. Overview
• 4.2.3. Case Selection ………………
• 4.2.4. Comparative Case Study and Data Sources.
• 4.2.5. Process Tracing
• 4.2.6. Timeframe .....
• 4.2.7. Operationalization
• 4.2.8. Relevance
• 5. Case Studies
• 5.1. Estonia..........\li>
  • 5.1.1. Political System .........
  • 5.1.2. Democracy in Estonia
• 5.2. Case Study on Estonia
• 5.2.1. Transition into Independence.....
• 5.2.2. Transitional Elections and Institutional Changes.\n.38
• 5.2.3. Replacement of Soviet Elites.........
• 5.2.4. Reforms after Independence...
• 5.2.5. Citizenship Laws .....
• 5.2.6. Judicial Reform.........
• 5.2.7. Security Police........
• 5.2.8. Administrative Reforms
• 5.2.9. Privatization and Economic Reforms...\n
• 5.2.10. Consecutive Governments and Soviet Elites....
• 5.2.11. EU Membership
• 5.2.12. Cultural Factors.\n
• 5.2.13. E-Government...\n
• 5.2.14. Anti-Corruption Legislation\n
• 5.2.15. Developments after 2000
• 5.3. Conclusion on Estonia......
• 5.4. Ukraine
• 5.4.1. Political System .........
• 5.4.2. Democracy in Ukraine
• 5.4.3. Protest....\n
• 5.5. Case Study on Ukraine.....
• 5.5.1. History of Anti-Corruption Programs and Reforms\n.57
• 5.5.2. Petty Corruption .......\n
• 5.5.3. Anti-Corruption Programs after 2010..\n
• 5.5.4. Procurement Legislation...\n
• 5.5.5. Anti-Corruption Legislation.\n
• 5.5.6. Politicization of State Agencies .....\n
• 5.5.7. Anti-Corruption Reforms from 2014-2020.\n
• 5.5.8. New Anti-Corruption Agencies\n
• 5.5.9. The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC)..\n
• 5.5.10. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).\n
• 5.5.11. Obstruction of NABU Investigations .....\n
• 5.5.12. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) ......\n
• 5.5.13. The Dysfunctionality of SAPO............\n
• 5.5.14. The High Anti-Corruption Court (HAC).\n
• 5.5.15. Obstruction by the Constitutional Court...\n
• 5.5.16. Deeper Institutional Issues\n
• 5.5.17. Privatization and Economic Transformation\n
• 5.5.18. The Impact of External Actors ..........\n
• 5.5.19. Corruption of Parliamentary Groups ………………………….\n
• 5.5.20. Opposition against Anti-Corruption Policies\n
• 5.6. Conclusions on Ukraine......
• 5.6.1. Policies until 2014 ....
• 5.6.2. Anti-Corruption Agencies after 2014
• 5.6.3. Systemic Problems
• 6. Analysis
• 6.1. Principal-Agent Theory...
• 6.1.1. Application of the Theory....
• 6.1.2. Country Comparison
• 6.1.3. Evaluation of the Theory
• 6.2. Collective Action Theory ...
• 6.2.1. Application of the Theory.
• 6.2.2. Country Comparison
• 6.2.3. Evaluation of the Theory
• 6.3. Historical Institutionalism .....
• 6.3.1. Application of the Theory.
• 6.3.2. Country Comparison
• 6.3.3. Evaluation of the Theory
• 6.4. Sociological Institutionalism.....
• 6.4.1. Application of the Theory....
• 6.4.2. Comparison and Theory Evaluation
• 7. Final Conclusions
• 7.1. Control Mechanisms against Corruption...........
• 7.2. Universal Anti-Corruption Norms ........
• 7.3. Disruption of Historical Continuities
• 7.4. Effects of External Pressure
• 7.5. Outlook on Anti-Corruption Research....
• 8. References
• 9. German Translation of the Table of Contents

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master's thesis examines the effectiveness and functionality of anti-corruption policies in Estonia and Ukraine. The research aims to understand how political measures and governance mechanisms influence corrupt practices in national contexts, both weakening and strengthening them.

• Defining corruption and exploring its different forms in national contexts.
• Analyzing the impact of institutional frameworks on anti-corruption efforts through the lens of New Institutionalism.
• Examining the role of historical factors and cultural context in shaping anti-corruption policies.
• Comparing the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures in Estonia and Ukraine, highlighting key differences and commonalities.
• Identifying the impact of external actors and international pressure on anti-corruption initiatives.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction establishes the relevance of the research topic, outlining the grounds for a comparative case study and introducing the theoretical framework of New Institutionalism. It also presents the research question and the structure of the thesis.

Chapter 2 provides a definition of corruption, explores different types of corruption, and examines conceptualizations of the phenomenon. Chapter 3 delves into the theory of New Institutionalism, focusing on rational choice institutionalism, principal-agent theory, collective action theory, historical institutionalism, and sociological institutionalism, applying these theories to the context of anti-corruption policies.

Chapter 4 outlines the research design, discussing methodology in anti-corruption studies, qualitative research methods, and process tracing. It details the case selection, data sources, and operationalization of the research. Chapter 5 presents case studies on Estonia and Ukraine, providing a detailed historical overview and exploring the development of anti-corruption policies in each country.

The analysis in Chapter 6 examines the applicability of the different theoretical frameworks from Chapter 3 to the Estonian and Ukrainian case studies. It evaluates the effectiveness of the theories in explaining variations in anti-corruption success.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Anti-corruption policies, comparative case study, Estonia, Ukraine, New Institutionalism, Principal-Agent Theory, Collective Action Theory, Historical Institutionalism, Sociological Institutionalism, political reform, governance, corruption, democracy, case study analysis.