Why can low salaries and limited training contribute to corruption in state bureaucracies?

Low salaries and limited training can significantly undermine the integrity of state bureaucracies, creating environments where corruption and inefficiency thrive. When officials are not provided with sufficient resources or adequate compensation, they may be compelled to seek alternative, often illicit, means to secure a livelihood, leading to shirking on the job or engaging in remunerative ventures that conflict with their public duties.1

Furthermore, when educational resources are limited, the administrative staff may lack the professional skills necessary to perform their roles effectively. This lack of professionalization makes the civil service more susceptible to patronage, where positions are used to reward supporters rather than to serve the public interest. Corruption, which involves the illicit exchange of value to influence official behavior, fundamentally violates both legal and moral codes. By failing to provide the necessary support for a professionalized, meritocratic civil service, a state weakens its ability to act in an accountable, rule-based manner, ultimately hindering its capacity to deliver essential services to society.12