THE RESOURCES OF CORRUPTION - SOME REFLECTIONS FROM THE ITALIAN CASE

This article focuses on the resources used in corrupt exchanges and th e complex network of actors involved. The empirical analysis is drawn from research into the Italian case, and is based on judicial investig ations, a newspaper-based data bank, and interviews. Defining corrupti on as a market for political rent, the analysis focuses on the ''commo dities'' which flow from the public to the private sectors (in particu lar, influence over political decisions and information) and those whi ch flow in the opposite direction (such as bribes, influence on the ma ss media etc.). Resources which corrupt agents use to reduce the costs of ''producing'' corrupt services are also explored as well as the ri sks involved in hidden exchange.