• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Wetenschappelijk

• Bestuur & Governance

Is the glass half full or half empty?

Perceptions of the scale and nature of corruption in the Netherlands

This article summarises the empirical results of a study on the scale, nature and outcome of corruption cases in the Netherlands. It turns out that the number of convictions of corruption in the Netherlands has remained very stable in recent decades. After research on the nature of corruption, it is concluded that civil servants who are found to be susceptible to corruption tend not to be low-profile officials, but rather personalities with a reputation in the civil service organisation for being noticeable, colourful and astute ‘fixers’. They frequently possess or demand the freedom to arrange matters on their own and are known as thorough and enterprising people.

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