# Report says 7% of US paid a bribe to a public body in the last year. Who? What? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079 "2013-07-09T20:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/41 "2013-07-10T06:37:23Z")
Transparency International is a respected organization and there’s nothing wrong with a sample size of 1000. I’ve seen worse. That said, this appears to be the first year they are conducting this particular survey. The US leg was run by [Leger USA](https://legerusa.com/), which runs online surveys. That sounds problematic to me. I don’t know how they create their sample, but their website allows you to sign up and be shuttled to a survey: win prizes! :dubious: Most of the countries used other methodologies. FWIW, the question wording follows: Q7. a. in the past 12 months, have you or anyone living in your household had a contact or contacts with one of the following [inSertCateGorY name1–8]? 1– Education system 2– Judicial system 3– Medical and health services 4– Police 5– Registry and permit services 6– Utilities 7– Tax 8– Land services Q7. b. if yes to Q7a, in your contact or contacts have you or anyone living in your household paid a bribe in any form in the past 12 months? yes/no Q8. What was the most common reason for paying the bribe/bribes? please give only one answer. 1– As a gift, or to express gratitude 2– To get a cheaper service 3– To speed things up 4– It was the only way to obtain a service TI pdf here: [http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/report](http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/report) “The full results at individual respondent level are available free of charge on request from Transparency International.” ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/42 "2013-07-10T06:45:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 1000 isn’t really a small sample size if the sample is constructed properly. For a truly random sample on a population of 300,000,000, one thousand samples should give you a confidence interval of ± 4% with a confidence level of 99%. At 95% (usually the standard level used), your interval is ± 3.1%. > > And the size of the population doesn’t really matter that much–it’s more a function of the sample size. The numbers are nearly identical whether the population is 30,000 or 300,000,000. True, the important part being “If the sample is constructed properly” That’s why I added: > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > Without any information about how the participants were chosen and who they were If it was 1,000 large real estate developers compared to 1,000 unemployed transients you might see a bigger than 5% variation in the results. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/43 "2013-07-10T09:55:16Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > The ones in that article aren’t bribes to public officials however. They are within a private company. I would argue that they aren’t real bribes either in the usual sense. It is really just enforced tip sharing and business rules like where the cab drivers have to buy gas that help the owners make more money. It may be crappy but there probably isn’t anything illegal about it. But it does look like extortion (from the driver) and theft (from the company). And probably tax evasion as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/44 "2013-07-10T10:48:56Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > … > > FWIW, the question wording follows: > [INDENT]Q7. a. in the past 12 months, have you > or anyone living in your household had a > contact or contacts with one of the following > [inSertCateGorY name1–8]? > 1– Education system > 2– Judicial system > 3– Medical and health services > 4– Police > 5– Registry and permit services > 6– Utilities > 7– Tax > 8– Land services > > … #3 (medical and health services) to a large extent are not government services in the US, and I wonder if the term in #8 (land services) is unambigous to US respondents as referring to some king of government services as opposed to the guy who mows your lawn. Unfortunately the German site of Transparency International does not have the German-language questionnaire for comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Pinmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@Pinmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pinmin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/45 "2013-07-10T12:04:08Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Transparency International is a respected organization and there’s nothing wrong with a sample size of 1000. I’ve seen worse. > > That said, this appears to be the first year they are conducting this particular survey. The US leg was run by [Leger USA](https://legerusa.com/), which runs online surveys. That sounds problematic to me. I don’t know how they create their sample, but their website allows you to sign up and be shuttled to a survey: win prizes! :dubious: Most of the countries used other methodologies. > > FWIW, the question wording follows: > Q7. a. in the past 12 months, have you > or anyone living in your household had a > contact or contacts with one of the following > [inSertCateGorY name1–8]? > 1– Education system > 2– Judicial system > 3– Medical and health services > 4– Police > 5– Registry and permit services > 6– Utilities > 7– Tax > 8– Land services > > Q7. b. if yes to Q7a, in your contact or > contacts have you or anyone living in your > household paid a bribe in any form in the > past 12 months? > yes/no > > Q8. What was the most common reason for > paying the bribe/bribes? please give only > one answer. > 1– As a gift, or to express gratitude > 2– To get a cheaper service > 3– To speed things up > 4– It was the only way to obtain a service > > TI pdf here: [http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/report](http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/report) > “The full results at individual respondent level are available free of charge on request from Transparency International.” So a Christmas gift for your child’s teacher is counted as a “bribe”? ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/46 "2013-07-10T12:27:19Z")
Ok, so maybe I am not alone in being surprised/confused. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/47 "2013-07-10T12:35:52Z")
Define bribe. I am a small business owner. I give away a ton of services to local cops. I tell them it is in appreciation for their service to the community. I tell them I appreciate their keeping an eye on my business when they drive past (no local police force where the building is). Over the years I’ve gotten mostly warnings for speeding, expired vehicle inspection, etc. Am I guilty of bribery? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/48 "2013-07-10T13:35:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Define bribe. I am a small business owner. I give away a ton of services to local cops. I tell them it is in appreciation for their service to the community. I tell them I appreciate their keeping an eye on my business when they drive past (no local police force where the building is). > > Over the years I’ve gotten mostly warnings for speeding, expired vehicle inspection, etc. > > Am I guilty of bribery? Yes, you are guilty of bribery, and the casualness with which you toss it off is repellent. However, I am not sure I should reconsider my skepticism. 7% of the US population is 21 million, and there are ~15 million self-employed in the country, so even assuming every small business owners in the country paid bribes would not get us to 7%. On the other hand, the question ought not be limited to the self-employed. On another other hand it should be limited to adults, so the issue could obviously use more sophisticated study. PS a bribe is pay for extra or for preferential treatment. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/49 "2013-07-10T13:45:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So were I to bake cookies for the nice people at the public library, I’d be considered as having bribed a public official? I’m guessing free cups of coffee to cops on duty (as many convenience stores provide) counts under their methodology as well. The wording probably went something like “Have you ever given a gift, freebie or emolument to a public official, employee of the local, state or federal government in their job capacity?” That opens the door to all sorts of not really corrupt behaviors like donating to the Police & Fire Ball, or presents to teachers, or anything that shows appreciation without expecting anything in return. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/50 "2013-07-10T14:08:06Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m guessing free cups of coffee to cops on duty (as many convenience stores provide) counts under their methodology as well. > > The wording probably went something like “Have you ever given a gift, freebie or emolument to a public official, employee of the local, state or federal government in their job capacity?” > > That opens the door to all sorts of not really corrupt behaviors like donating to the Police & Fire Ball, or presents to teachers, or anything that shows appreciation without expecting anything in return. The wording of the question seems to have been given in post #41, at least as shown to US survey takers. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/51 "2013-07-10T14:12:15Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Prison guards seem to get busted for it a lot … Well there’s a big chunk of your answer right there I’d expect. The US jails a lot of people, and our penal system is hardly a model of model behavior. So depending on where you asked the question, you might be in an area where an individual history jail time is fairly normal. Doesn’t seem so unreasonable to believe a good portion of those who did time might have offered some item of value to their guards in exchange for some favor. Who and where you ask really matters. I think you could ask the 500 people who work in my office building the same question and you’d get a response of well below 1%, and a good chunk of those will have been tourists trying to get out of trouble in Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/52 "2013-07-10T14:28:43Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Yes, you are guilty of bribery, and the casualness with which you toss it off is repellent. Well, as much as your scorn stings. . .hey, no tickets!!😛 kayaker proudly supporting the local constabulary ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/53 "2013-07-10T14:43:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I am a small business owner. I give away a ton of services to local cops. I tell them it is in appreciation for their service to the community. I tell them I appreciate their keeping an eye on my business when they drive past (no local police force where the building is). Dis is a pretty liddle bizniss I got here, eh officer? It’d be a piddy if somethin was ta happen to it, eh officer? Coffie? Ya want some sugars wit dat? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/54 "2013-07-10T14:55:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Well, as much as your scorn stings. . .hey, no tickets!!😛 > > kayaker > proudly supporting the local constabulary I have not had a ticket since 1985, and I was stopped since then, oh, four times dead-to-rights drunk and they let me go (two road blocks, once for driving too slow, once for exiting a parking lot over the sidewalk; passed either two or three sobriety tests). The key is to be polite, and it does not hurt to practice the sobriety test. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/55 "2013-07-10T15:00:23Z")
So, I’m being scolded by Otis? Give Andy my regards! ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/56 "2013-07-10T15:54:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, I’m being scolded by Otis? Give Andy my regards! So, a dose of healthy cynicism? How sophisticated! ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/57 "2013-07-10T16:05:47Z")
Come on colonial. Nobody likes to whip out the tu quoque that often because it’s as lame as using a titty twister in a bar fight, but free services in an unspoken exchange for cops continuing to do their job counts as repellant bribery but you using your devastating wiles to get out of clear infractions of the law is ok? You fail to see why **kayaker** might at least see fit to have a little fun at your expense? Pots and kettles at best, old bean. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/58 "2013-07-10T16:11:01Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Perhaps the 7% in the US is influenced by international travel and/or immigrants? > > I notice that Mexico is at 33%. I was recently told by a friend that if you go to Mexico as an American, you pretty much expect to pay a few bribes while you’re there. I’m not sure I believe that person, but I’ve heard similar stories about Africa and China from missionaries who have been to those countries. In this sense, then Americans do a lot of bribing because we’re well-traveled, not so much because of domestic corruption. > > Then we have the fact that about 10% of those in the US were born overseas. I suspect that many paid more than a few bribes before they got here. Wikipedia’s list of the top five countries are all high on the bribery index: Mexico (33% bribe rate), China (no rate listed, but probably high), India (54% bribe rate), Philippines (12%), Dominican Republic (no rate listed). > > If we assume a domestic rate of 1-2%, then I think travel and immigration nicely explain the rest. Yeah, I think you’re’ right. That explains it. There’s also the occ fuck-up that mis-reads the question or checks the wrong box. There’s no evidence at all that it’s Americans paying American officials. Other than “Man arrested for attempting to bribe official’ I have never heard of such a thing being commonly practiced. I have never paid nor heard of anyone paying a bribe, other than “la Mordita” in Mexico. Thus, I guess I paid a “bribe”. I give my postman a fairly nice Xmas gift, a Sees gift Cert every year. I do not consider this a ‘bribe” but I guess by a strained interpretation of the survey it could be. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/59 "2013-07-10T16:28:15Z")
I would guess that a lot of people misunderstood the question. Possibly a lot of people don’t have a clear understanding of what the word “bribe” means and answered “yes” thinking that normal payments to government agencies count. I’m not a survey taker, but my job does require me to ask questions of people over the phone. A big problem is that a lot of people listen to the beginning of the question, think that they understand it when they don’t, stop listening to the question, and give an answer which makes no sense because they were not paying careful attention. It’s a bit like that old riddle where you ask people “If a plane crashes on the border of the U.S. and Mexico, where would one bury the survivors?” A large percentage of people don’t really process the word “survivors” because they assume the question is referring to people who were killed in the plane crash. In a similar way, I would guess that a lot of people listening to the question don’t really process the word “bribe.” They don’t have a clear understanding of the word and assume it means “payment” based on the context. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079/60 "2013-07-10T17:41:05Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > Come on colonial. Nobody likes to whip out the tu quoque that often because it’s as lame as using a titty twister in a bar fight, Tu quoque? My last post was ironic and the one before was a serious observation, namely, that it is not necessary to bribe policemen in order to obtain lenient treatment. I might have added three other violations of mine (80 in a 60, malfunctioning brake lights and lane change without signalling) for which I was stopped, guilty but not drunk, and let off. Repeat: _be polite._ > [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > but free services in an unspoken exchange for cops continuing to do their job counts as repellant bribery Yes. > [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > but you using your devastating wiles to get out of clear infractions of the law is ok? Being polite is not “wiley.” It is the only smart way to act during conversation with a police officer. But just to be clear about it I was guilty of highly irresponsible behavior, I could have killed someone, and I deserved to be penalized to the full extent of the law. Admitting so does not excuse me, but it does not excuse someone else guilty of another crime, either. > [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > You fail to see why **kayaker** might at least see fit to have a little fun at your expense? Pots and kettles at best, old bean. You are the only one failing to see anything, as in I might want to have a little fun of my own by deflecting it right back at him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/report-says-7-of-us-paid-a-bribe-to-a-public-body-in-the-last-year-who-what/663079.md?page=4)