Kleptocracy, alternatively
cleptocracy or
kleptarchy, from Greek
klepto (theft) and
kratos (rule), is a term applied to a
government that extends the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively,
kleptocrats), via the
embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretense of honest service.
Political corruption is closely tied to the internal workings of a
Kleptocracy.
Characteristics
Kleptocracies are often
dictatorships or some other form of
autocratic and
nepotist government, or lapsed democracies that have transformed into
oligarchies. A kleptocratic ruler typically treats his country's
treasury as though it were his own personal bank account.
Effects
The effects of a kleptocratic regime or government on a nation are typically adverse in regards to the faring of the state's
economy, political affairs and
civil rights. Kleptocracy in government often vitiates prospects of foreign investment and drastically weakens the domestic market and cross-border trade. As the kleptocracy normally embezzles money from its citizens by misusing funds derived from
tax payments, or money laundering schemes, a kleptocratically structured political system tends to degrade nearly everyone's quality of life.
In addition, the money that kleptocrats steal is often taken from funds that were earmarked for public amenities, such as the building of hospitals, schools, roads, parks and the like - which has further adverse effects on the quality of life of the citizens living under a kleptocracy. The quasi-oligarchy that results from a kleptocratic elite also subverts democracy (or any other political format the state is ostensibly under).
Examples
Historical
According to one source, an old case of a kleptocratic governed state was
Kievan Rus' where the alliance between
Varangians and
Slavic élites set up this type of government which resisted all attacks until 1240 when the
Tatars conquered
Kiev.
Modern
Transparency International ranking
In early 2004, the anti-corruption Germany-based
NGO Transparency International released a list of what it believes to be the ten most self-enriching leaders in recent years.
In order of amount allegedly stolen (in
USD), they are:
Narcokleptocracy
A
narcokleptocracy is a society ruled by "thieves" involved in the trade of
narcotics.
The term has its origin in a report prepared by a subcommittee of the
United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. The term was used specifically to describe the regime of
Manuel Noriega in
Panama. The term's construction builds on the already existing pejorative term "
kleptocracy"- which is a government run by thieves. That is more precisely, a government run expressly for the financial benefit of those who govern.
Statement by the Bush Administration
In 2006, the
Bush Administration, consistent with promises made at the prior
G8 Summit, enunciated a policy specifically intended to internationalize an effort to resist, pursue, and prosecute kleptocracies.. The White House stated intended commitments to: denying safe haven, bringing together major financial centers vulnerable to exploitation in order to develop preventive anti-corruption practices, enhance international information sharing on corrupt officials, uncover, seize, and return stolen funds and prosecute those criminals involved, and ensure greater multilateral action in helping to develop and repair those areas of the world stricken by high-level corruption.
See also
