Corruption as an Essentially Ideological Concept. The Case of Anti-Corruption Discourse in the Presidential Campaigns of 2022 and its Implications for the War against Corruption

Abstract

Although there is an extensive literature on corruption there is little research on its ideological dimension. Based on a conceptual analysis of corruption that identifies its ideological dimension not only in academia but also in the political discourses of the main presidential candidates in the 2022 election in Colombia, the aim of this article is to fill this void. Its main argument is that corruption is an essentially ideological concept insofar as any definition of corruption that moves beyond its basic meaning as degradation builds upon a political, economic or social ideal that reflects a particular ideology. This means that an efficient anti-corruption strategy has to be transparent in its ideological agenda and suppositions. It should also recognize that corruption, regardless of its definition, is a consequence of the degradation of a political, social or economic order.  Hence its reduction cannot be achieved simply through judicial activism but through systemic reforms that seek to build a more just, efficient and legitimate political order.