Problems of Clientelism and Corruption in Poland

Krzysztof Nowakowski

doi:10.1556/revsoc.11.2005.2.2

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Review of Sociology

Volume/Issue:: Volume 11: Issue 2

Problems of Clientelism and Corruption in Poland

Author:

Krzysztof Nowakowski

Krzysztof Nowakowski Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach (Silesian University in Katowice) Zakład Nauk Ekonomicznych, Ul. Bankowa 11, 40-007 Katowice, Poland

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Pages:: 75–86

Online Publication Date:: 25 Jan 2006

Publication Date:: 01 Dec 2005

Article Category:: Journal Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1556/revsoc.11.2005.2.2

Keywords:: patronage; corruption; clientelism; patron-client relation; institutional nomadism; corporatism; patrimonialism; social-economic transformation; political capitalism; accumulation of capital; cronyism; fictionalization of pathologies

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Corruption is linked with the issue of clientelism. This establishes a wide understanding of that phenomenon. This wide context and understanding of corruption is simplified by the recognition of the patron-client system, accompanying corruption or even identified with it. Clientelism may be of personal or mass character, and consists of mutual provision of services, without the need to lay out funds for achieving common goals. Socio-economic transformation as profound and thorough reform of the system and institutions promotes corruption practices (the process of transfer of resources from public to private sector progressed swiftly). Clientelism is linked with the phenomenon of crony capitalism, which is treated as synonymous to corruption or favoring corruption. Corruption provides a means for maintaining and the development of client networks. Patron-client relations are of secondary nature in some societies; in other societies they substantially influence the shape of the political and economic system, as well as social structure. Such relations may transgress the borders between classes, professional groups, organizations, family relations. Where liberal-democratic parliamentarism coincides with the absence of an educated civil society, the civil service of the state, the domination of political parties and pressure groups is present, which favor clientelistic corruption, influencing the development of private sector and formation of capital. Political parties distribute and decide upon thousands of positions. They organize their own client communities. Still, typical clientelistic societies are rather not common. If they were, in the long run they would cause loss of the competitive edge of the economy on the global market. The dynamics of economy indicates that the factors which paralyze economic development have not dominated the economic system in Poland as yet, and that system maintains its autonomy. This does not imply, however, the activation of long-term growth factors and the elimination of what is called lost opportunity costs in the economy.

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Review of Sociology

Print ISSN:: 1417-8648

Online ISSN:: 1588-2845

Review of Sociology
Language	English
Year of Foundation	2000
Publication Programme	ceased
Founder	A Magyar Szociológiai Társaság -- Hungarian Sociological Association
Founder's Address	H-1097 Budapest, Hungary Tóth Kálmán u.4.
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	1417-8648 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2845 (Online)