Comparing Nigerian states: Anti-corruption and the sub-state environment

对腐败问题的研究正在不断发展：如果说1990年代以来的重新关注使人们注意到了一个被忽视的问题，突出了腐败的普遍性和有害影响，那么今天的优先事项就是更好地了解在政策反应中什么是有效的。我认为，尽管如此，一个重要的弱点仍然是固定与民族国家作为分析单位。这既限制了我们对更局部化的腐败问题的理解深度，也限制了打击腐败问题的对策的复杂性。通过对尼日利亚六个次州单位的比较，（这里被称为尼日利亚宪法中定义的“州”），这项研究将评估治理的质量--也就是说，权威在民族国家以下一级行使的规范和制度影响着反恐怖主义的效果和预期目标，该研究将以腐败领域最近的研究为基础，旨在提高对腐败问题分析的深度和对策的适当性（约翰斯顿，2005年; Hough，2013年; Zaum，2013年; Andreoni，Khan & Roy，2016年）这项工作的一个共同主题是理解背景的重要性-既要承认腐败的不同驱动因素、形式和影响，也要承认有利环境对改革的潜力-以设计适当的政策应对措施。本研究的显著特点是将这些思想带到民族国家以下的政府层面。这项研究的重点是政府与人民之间日常互动更密切的次级国家，目的是促进具有高度业务相关性和影响力的研究，尼日利亚是探讨这一主题的适当国家。自2015年大选以来，布哈里总统开始了高调的反腐运动。人们对该方案的期望很高，鉴于尼日利亚的区域地位和规模，必须更好地了解哪些方法可以奏效，特别是因为过去的反腐败努力已被证明是虚假的曙光。此外，尼日利亚还是包括联合王国在内的全球主要国际发展援助接受国。英国国际发展部（DFID）启动了一项1亿英镑的计划，旨在促进公共部门问责制和减少腐败（2016 - 2021年）。因此，这项研究对尼日利亚和外部决策者具有很高的潜在价值，并将认真考虑如何重新思考目前的方法。这项研究将以六个州的治理环境为特色。研究方法将是定性的，可以深入分析国情，并通过案例研究的配对比较来找出区别。该研究将采取国家反腐败干预措施，支持提高标准，并促进州议会作为反腐败工具，以探讨结果如何因治理而产生分歧。作为民选官员行为的监督者和公共问责机制，议会作为反腐败机制的作用得到了承认，但只进行了有限的研究（国际发展部，2012年）。这项研究将增加证据基础，并探讨如果考虑到次国家的情况，如何提高议会在反腐败方面的效力，这项研究将以尼日利亚为切入点，探讨次国家与反腐败对策的相关性这一更广泛的理论问题。借鉴最近的工作在政治学上的局限性methodologicalnationalism区域研究（杰弗里，2013），我将考虑如何腐败研究方法可以纳入次国家分析，以及从尼日利亚的例子可以采取什么教训在其他地方。

The study of corruption is evolving: if renewed focus from the 1990s brought attention to a neglected issue, highlighting corruption's pervasiveness and harmful effects, then the priority today is to better understand what works in policy responses. I argue that one significant weakness nonetheless remains the fixation with the nation-state as the unit of analysis. This both limits the depth to which we understand more localised corruption issues and the sophistication of responses to combat the problem. Through a comparison of six sub-state units in Nigeria (here on known as 'states' as defined in the Nigerian constitution), the study will assess how the quality of governance - that is, the norms andinstitutions by which authority is exercised at a level below the nation-state - influences the effects and intended goals of anti-corruption mechanisms.The study will build on recent research in the corruption field which aims to improve the depth of analysis of corruption issues and the appropriateness of responses (Johnston, 2005; Hough, 2013; Zaum, 2013; Andreoni, Khan & Roy,2016) A common theme in this work is the importance of appreciating context - both in terms of acknowledging corruption's varying drivers, forms and effects, as well as the potential of the enabling environment for reform - to design appropriatepolicy responses. The distinctive feature of this study will be to bring these ideas to the level of government below the nation-state. In focussing on the sub-state, where there is closer everyday interaction between government and people, the study aims to contribute research with high operational relevance and impact.Nigeria is an apt country to explore this theme. Since election in 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on a high profile anti-corruption campaign. Expectations of the programme are considerable and, given Nigeria's regional statureand size, it is imperative to better understand what approaches can work, particularly as past anticorruption drives have proven to be false dawns. Nigeria is further a leading global recipient of international development assistance, including from the UK. The Department for International Development (DFID) has initiated a £100m programme aiming to promote public sector accountability and reduce corruption (2016 - 2021). This study therefore has high potential value to Nigerian and external policymakers and will critically consider how current approaches might be rethought.The study will feature innovative profiles of the governance environment in six states. The research method will be qualitative, enabling in-depth of analysis of state conditions, and will draw out distinctions through paired comparisons of casestudies. The study will take a national anti-corruption intervention, support to improve standards and promote state parliamentary assemblies as an anticorruption tool, to explore how outcomes diverge due to governance. As a supervisor of behaviour of elected officials and mechanism of public accountability, the role of parliaments as an anticorruption mechanism is recognised, but has been subject to only limited research (DFID, 2012). The study will add to the evidence base and explore how the effectiveness of parliaments in anti-corruption can be improved if sub-state conditions are taken into account.The study will use Nigeria as a stepping point to explore the broader theoretical question of the relevance of the sub-state to anti-corruption responses. Drawing on recent work in political science on the limitations of methodologicalnationalism for regional study (Jeffrey, 2013), I will consider how corruption research methodologies can incorporate sub-state analysis, and what lessons from the Nigeria example might be taken elsewhere.