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Old and New Patterns of Corruption in Poland and the USSR

1989; Telos; Volume: 1989; Issue: 80 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3817/0689080051

1940-459X

Jacek Tarkowski,

Polish Historical and Cultural Studies

Abstract One of the first signs that changes were coming in the Soviet Union was the anti-corruption drive undertaken by Andropov. He used this campaign as a weapon against the Brezhnev faction, accusing the late leader's family and followers of extravagant corruption. More than a simple tactical maneuver, Andropov's campaign was seen as an important component of a general overhaul of the Soviet system. After the Chernenko interlude, when the anti-corruption campaign was abandoned, Gorbachev resumed this policy and turned the struggle against corruption into one of the major battle-cries of perestroika. The study of corruption in communist countries is more than simply an intellectual exercise since corruption is an integral, structural element of these systems.