The Danish history of The Danish history of corruption and anticorruption corruption and anticorruption

1700 - 19501700 - 1950

Mette Frisk JensenMette Frisk JensenDepartment of Culture and SocietyDepartment of Culture and Society

Aarhus University and QOG University of GothenburgAarhus University and QOG University of Gothenburg

Civil servants in Denmark with misconducts in office 1736 - 1936

The Danish history of corruption in the 19th centuryThe Danish history of corruption in the 19th century

• Increase in the number of civil servants prosecuted for corrupt • Increase in the number of civil servants prosecuted for corrupt

crimes in the years form 1810 to 1830 crimes in the years form 1810 to 1830

• The increase coincided with a severe economic crisis in the • The increase coincided with a severe economic crisis in the

wake of the Napoleon Warwake of the Napoleon War

• Since 1860 the level of bureaucratic corruption has been low and • Since 1860 the level of bureaucratic corruption has been low and

fairly constantfairly constant

• The corruption in the 19th century primarily took the form of • The corruption in the 19th century primarily took the form of

embezzlementsembezzlements

The government’s handling of the The government’s handling of the corruption by the civil servantscorruption by the civil servants in the in the

beginning of the 19th. century beginning of the 19th. century

• Detailed control of the civil servants accounts by officials from Detailed control of the civil servants accounts by officials from the central administration 1819 - 1830the central administration 1819 - 1830

• Major revision of accounts in 1840Major revision of accounts in 1840• New penal codes in 1840 and 1866New penal codes in 1840 and 1866• Major revision of wages and pensionsMajor revision of wages and pensions

Weber’s model of the bureaucracy and Weber’s model of the bureaucracy and the Danish administration the Danish administration

• Lack of separation in the civil servants private and public Lack of separation in the civil servants private and public economyeconomy

• Lack of fixed wages and full time working civil servants Lack of fixed wages and full time working civil servants

• Lack of systematic control with the civil servants Lack of systematic control with the civil servants accountsaccounts

The study of corruption and anticorruption in the 18th century

• The empirical study of the civil servants corruption• How was bribery eliminater?• How and why was the sale of public offices eliminated?• The establishment of a corps of royal servants and

their development to civil servants• The oath of office after 1660• The use of surety• The use of partitions • The legislation on corrupt crimes• The general notion of justice and the ethics of public

office

The oath of office

The legislationThe legislation

Embezzlements Embezzlements

– – laws from 1690 and 1739 laws from 1690 and 1739

Bribery Bribery

– – law from 1700law from 1700

ForgeryForgery

– – part of the Law-complex part of the Law-complex The Danish LawThe Danish Law from 1683 from 1683