Here in India – as in most other parts of the world – there is
an assumption that all politicians are corrupt. As such,
politics is not the first career choice for most individuals.
However, if all politicians are indeed corrupt, wouldn’t that
mean that all politicians benefit more than the rest of us?
Therefore, shouldn’t the rational choice be that more people
join politics? And would “competition” reduce corruption? Chirag
Panjikar, India You are clearly thinking along the right lines,
but the details can be more subtle. I asked Mikhail Drugov, an
expert on the economics of corruption from Oxford University,
for advice. One of his observations is that politicians may not
necessarily make more money from a corrupt system. If, for
example, you wish to exploit a political position for personal
gain, you may find that to obtain the position, you must pay a
substantial bribe to some other politician. On balance, even the
most venal political neophyte may decide it is easier to make
money by getting a proper job