When we talk about corruption, we tend to focus too much on individuals, argues Brian Klaas, professor of international political science at University College London, and underestimate the role of systems in which corruption flourishes or does not flourish. If we really want to fight him, we must not wait for the Messiah, nor the favor of fortune. Citizens must first demand it, says the 37-year-old political scientist, and offers very concrete solutions.

“While I was doing fieldwork for my Ph.D. thesis, I found myself in a room with some very unhappy but very powerful people. From that moment I began to understand that these people are not normal. And I do not mean that they all went bankrupt, although there were many of them, but that there was a certain type of people who most often found themselves in power. This is an anthropological type that is more power-hungry, thinks more strategically, often more selfish. Before that, we were usually more interested in what power does to people and how power corrupts. When someone finds out that I am a political scientist, they usually ask me why everything is so bad and why we have such terrible people at the helm. Nobody ever told me that politics works perfectly. So I wanted to answer this question: “Why do we have the wrong leaders?” Because it amazes me too: why do people abuse their power, what happens to them and behave so badly?

– In the last twenty years, many have argued that the problem of power lies in the hierarchy, and suggest moving to flat systems where everyone is equal. But it cannot work beyond a certain number of people. It is impossible to effectively manage a society when everyone functions in the same way. I need some kind of principle. In my opinion, such a solution is a product of utopian thinking. It’s unrealistic. The real question is how you will end up with the right person at the top of the hierarchy. And here is the system. Corrupt systems can be reformed. Seventy years ago, Singapore was one of the most corrupt places in world trade, and today it is one of the least corrupt countries on the planet. But it was a pretty lucky country that had a leader who had a vision and was committed to fighting corruption. I believe that instead of waiting for luck, we should focus more on developing systems that make corruption more difficult. This will create a virtuous circle, because the next generation will no longer see participation in the political system as a means of getting rich. We see stories of abuses of power in the news, all of which end with the abuser getting fired. This closes the case without following the question: “why did the system allow this?” What reforms have been undertaken to change it?” For society to function better, we need to start talking about systems, not just individuals.

We choose leaders according to irrational criteria, without weighing the pros and cons of the proposed policy.

“The data we have suggests that people with the dark triad, with the Machiavellian and narcissistic psychopath personality, tend to hold more positions of power, partly because they themselves want power more, and partly because they are better at fighting for it. demand. They think strategically and plan their ascension to exercise power over people. The data is also clear: no, psychopaths are no better at exercising power. But we must make a distinction. The functional psychopath has some level of self-control and can indulge his psychopathy when it suits him, at least in front of others. Experts say that dysfunctional or unsuccessful psychopaths belong in prison. They eventually become compulsive killers, violent and violent. On the other hand, functional psychopaths are the people we see in politics and business. To be clear, the vast majority of people in power are not psychopaths. However, various studies have shown that we see between 4 and 100 times more psychopaths in leadership positions than in the general population. Kevin Dutton, an Oxford researcher, wrote the book The Wisdom of Psychopaths, in which he argues that psychopathy can often be effective. He calls for the profession of a surgeon or a bomb thrower. These people are remarkably immune to stressful and difficult emotional situations. But still. If your surgeon told you he was a psychopath, would you agree to give yourself a general anaesthetic and put yourself in his hands? He can be very good at his job, but he can’t be trusted because he doesn’t have normal human emotions.

“This is the part of the book that made me feel a little uncomfortable because it blames us citizens. I mean, everyone likes to say that idiots are in power and that’s why they ruin our lives, but the inconvenient truth is that in democracies we put them in these positions. The people voted for Trump. One possible reason is that we like simple answers to complex questions. And those people who offer simple solutions to complex problems are mostly demagogues and strongmen who tell us that they can magically make all our problems disappear. There is something else, an evolutionary anomaly that causes our brains to prefer bulky men in times of crisis. This is supported by the scientific data of psychology. In the phases of a national crisis, people of great position gain power more easily than others. I know it’s completely absurd, but it works. Remember the photos of Vladimir Putin, half-naked on a horse, shooting. I believe he is investing in that mindset. He wants to appear before the Russian people as a strong man who will save Russia. So we have to be very careful with messianic figures, activate our rational brain.

– In the book, I offer ten different solutions to achieve this goal. One of my suggestions is very simple and is called “switching”. By changing people in leadership positions, you make it harder to engage in corrupt practices. If you have ten people in a police department who have been working together for 20 years, they are more likely to cooperate in corruption. I also think we need to keep a closer eye on those at the top. We tend to keep watching what workers are doing in open offices and overlooking what managers and generally those at the top are doing behind closed doors. Third, we need to better evaluate candidates for leadership positions. It is easier and more effective to bring the right people to power than to try to change those who offend them.