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By Kristen Sample Director, Democratic Governance, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
The expression “all politics is local,” meaning that a politician’s success hinges on his or her ability to understand and influence the issues of constituents, held true for generations. In today’s world, however, the increasingly globalized nature of corruption subverts local democratic politics and processes.
Autocrats use and abuse state resources to corrode institutions, harass the democratic opposition and curtail domestic accountability systems. Leveraging the global financial system and its network of international enablers, autocrats are able to hide and grow these ill-gotten gains offshore, thus increasing their ability to fund domestic repression and even influence politics and elections in other countries.
Recognition of the dangers of transnational corruption is growing. The inclusion of anti-corruption as one of the three core pillars of the Summit for Democracy is part of a broader global effort to rally the democratic community of nations.
