Corruption and Transparency

Abstract

According to different surveys, corruption has become the second-most significant problem for Spaniards since the beginning of 2013. This article tries to demonstrate that corruption in present-day Spain is a consequence of institutional deficits that stem from the democratic transition. However, despite a certain path of dependence, the political consequences of the Great Recession economic crisis and the numerous scandals have fostered the emergence of a pro-integrity advocacy coalition. Using the know-how of the anti-corruption epistemic community, this coalition aims to modify social perception of the problem and introduce radical policy change. This chapter ends by offering a critical analysis of the incremental change in the anti-corruption policy made by the national government, particularly regarding transparency and open government outputs.