Family for Corruption

This chapter explores family for corruption , a pattern where family ties are strategically used to reduce the transaction costs of corrupt exchanges, primarily for financial gain. Through case studies involving law enforcement and border officers, it demonstrates how trust inherent in family relationships facilitates illicit activity, offering a reliable safeguard against opportunism in high-risk, non-contractual dealings. Family members act on the agent side of corruption, helping conceal identities and ensure the success of the illicit deal. Drawing on transaction cost economics, the chapter argues that family provides an efficient informal governance structure where formal mechanisms such as legally enforceable contracts are inaccessible. The chapter calls for further research into underexplored areas such as gender roles and kinship structures within corrupt family arrangements, highlighting their implications for understanding the micro dynamics of this kind of corruption.