Rule of Law

Rule of Law
Most policymakers would agree that having “rule of law” tradition is one of the most
effective ways to keep corruption in check. A state can operate under many different
forms of governance, from autocracy to democracy, and remain stable and free of
internal violence, but having widespread respect for rule of law in place ensures that all
persons and institutions, public and private, including the state itself, are accountable to
laws that are publicly announced, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and
consistent with international human rights norms and standards. While no country is

immune from corruption, it tends to be more common in societies where there is not a
strong commitment to the rule of law.
In a system where the rule of law has broken down, there is little transparency in
government operations and public officials have a lot of discretion in the way that they

carry out their duties. It is more likely that government funds will be used for personal
benefit, that services will be disrupted, and that citizens will have few avenues of
recourse to lodge complaints, or receive justice. In such circumstances, citizens may
revolt (violently or non-violently), or perhaps protest in other ways, like evading paying
taxes—believing that there in no point in doing so when they expect the money to go into
the pockets of corrupt officials and not to the services that they use (like roads, hospitals,
or schools). Tax evasion remains a big problem in countries like Russia, where
economic uncertainty after the fall of the Soviet Union led to poverty, corruption, new
waves of crime, and a growing distrust of authorities. Tax evasion is also prevalent
where there is no rule of law because too often tax collection is either not enforced
impartially or equitably. And, in some societies, instead of paying taxes (a legitimate
contribution to support government services), citizens will save their money for bribes
since that may be a more effective means of ensuring they receive services.