Worldwide, the construction sector is regularly rated as the most corrupt industry. Even so, the scale and effects of this corruption are frequently underestimated. The 2005 edition of Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report shows that corruption in the construction industry has the power to shape and devastate economies. It has the power to ruin livelihoods and, under certain circumstances, to take lives.This book outlines the particular characteristics of the construction industry that enable the corrupt to plunder the vast amounts of international funds that pour into large-scale infrastructure projects. Whether through international bribes paid to secure contracts for the Lesotho Dam, or the politicians implicated in the purchase of a waste incinerator in Cologne, the report reveals how corruption steers money away from essential services and development projects. In a special section dedicated to post-conflict reconstruction, the report shows how, from Angola to Iraq, the corrupt prey on the most vulnerable.The Global Corruption Report 2005 also shows that no matter how entrenched corruption seems, it can be beaten. Along with presenting measures specifically tailored to curbing bribery in construction, the report uncovers major trends in anti-corruption legislation and reforms in more than 40 countries. The book also offers the latest corruption research, including studies on the links between corruption and, in turn, issues such as pollution, gender and foreign investment.

In his most provocative and caustically funny book yet, Greg Palast, author of the national bestseller The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, once again gives us the straight scoop on the stories that Big Media won?t report. Digging up reams of documents marked ?secret? and ?confidential,? Palast provides the latest lowdown on Bush?s secret plans to seize Iraq?s oil, the fix planned for the 2008 election, who drowned New Orleans, and the horror and the

The Global Corruption Report 2007 looks at how, why and where corruption mars judicial processes, and to reflect on remedies for corruption-tainted systems. The book focuses on judges and courts but situates them within the broader justice system – police, prosecutors, lawyers and agencies responsible for enforcing judicial decisions. It also looks at the social context of the judiciary and shows how societal expectations, the existence of non-state justice mechanisms and the strength of informal networks that circumvent the justice system, all have a bearing on judicial corruption. The book takes a close look at the two main judicial corruption problems: political interference and petty bribery by court personnel. The 37 country case studies and a series of concrete recommendations for judges, political powers, businesses, lawyers, prosecutors, academics, NGOs and donors are supplemented by 15 empirical studies of corruption in various sectors, including the justice sector.

Ralph Nader is one of America’s most controversial—and uncompromising— public figures. He is a man on a mission who believes that taking on the powers that be involves more than just talking about it—it also means taking action. From car safety in the 1960s to opposition to the World Trade Organization in the 1990s, Nader’s work has increased government responsiveness to citizens, served as a check against the abuse of power by big business, and shaped the political consciousness of a nation. Nader’s sense of mission is infused in all of his work, especially his weekly columns. In Pursuit of Justice, a collection of Nader’s most recent, trenchant articles written in the years immediately following the publication of The Ralph Nader Reader, Nader addresses a broad array of issues, among them: corporate crime and power, government accountability, media control, consumer rights, healthcare, congressional reform, nuclear power and energy, racial discrimination, poverty, food and drug safety, air and water pollution, fair taxation, product liability protection, union democracy, living family wage, unfair lending practices, community radio, industrial hemp, banking, pension law, telecommunications and the importance of character. Nader has even sponsored consumer initiatives to reform university governance, educational testing, daily

An explosive new report by The Guardian reveals the extensive influence of corporate cash in U.S. elections through third-party groups that do not have to disclose their donors. It is based

A sweeping new investigation has raised questions about the little-known Trump Organization and potential conflicts of interest should Trump become president. The investigation published in Newsweek magazine reveals the Trump Organization is