Thanks for sharing.

I want to share this fine quote with regard to corruption:

“Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations that've long since bought and paid for, the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pocket, and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and the information you get to hear. They got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else.

But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them.”

― George Carlin

Taking into account this quote, the information Prof. Uchem has given through the question and, my common sense, corruption can be explained by greed.

Regarding the reduction and elimination of corruption, ethic in combination with well educated persons, capable of critical thinking play the greatest role.

But, I am wondering if the reduction of corruption, first, is possible in our current world. Unfortunately, I have serious doubts.

Thanks for sharing.

I want to share this fine quote with regard to corruption:

“Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations that've long since bought and paid for, the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pocket, and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and the information you get to hear. They got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else.

But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them.”

― George Carlin

Taking into account this quote, the information Prof. Uchem has given through the question and, my common sense, corruption can be explained by greed.

Regarding the reduction and elimination of corruption, ethic in combination with well educated persons, capable of critical thinking play the greatest role.

But, I am wondering if the reduction of corruption, first, is possible in our current world. Unfortunately, I have serious doubts.

Some illuminate , unjust, illegal earning either in cash or kind or both.  Eradication is possible through stringent rules that treat both giving and taking as offensive.

Corruption is lesser in Rich Countries; 

Corruption is higher where political instability is a major problem

http://www.gprg.org/pubs/workingpapers/pdfs/gprg-wps-012.pdf

Corruption is a form of dishonest often to acquire personal benefit.  different Scales of corruption are :-Petty corruption, Grand corruption, Systemic corruption.

The  tool to reduce the corruption

education

We need to change the government processes. 

We can reduce corruption by increasing direct contact between government and the governed. 

Transparency and professional accountability.

Draft a code of ethics and professional responsibility and standards of conduct for legal and judicial actors in the justice system.

I believe transparency, integrity, and accountability can reduce, but not eliminate, corruption.

Dear @Uchem,thanks for sharing this question. Please, do visit my thread on corruption with almost 700 answers and fine resources, proposals etc.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Corruption_remains_one_of_the_biggest_challenges_for_all_societies_Do_you_have_examples_of_corruption_in_your_society#view=571aacd148954c3b7a25e227

I concur with Mahfuz Judeh.  Nor should we aim to 'eliminate' corruption.  'Corrupting' influence is really about applying edge where 'law' is slow at covering instead of being unlawful... or being criminal. In other words, a little corruption here and there is manifestation of human relationship itself. 

Corruption can be reduced when attitude and perception  of every individual chsbge

Corruption has reached an unacceptable level. It devours resources that could be devoted to the citizens. It impedes the proper carrying out of market rules and penalizes the honest and capable.

--- Sergio Mattarella

To fight corruption, one of the key steps as I understand is the 'individual'. Let each keep out of it. Let parents and teachers teach how corruption swallows each one of us. In Sanskrit "Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah" If we protect the individual and the society from corruption, the Individual and society would protect us.

I do think that corruption will never be elliminated, but it may be reduced.

Six Strategies to Fight Corruption!

1. Paying civil servants well

2. Creating transparency and openness in government spending

3. Cutting red tape

4. Replacing regressive and distorting subsidies with targeted cash transfers

5. Establishing international conventions

6. Deploying smart technology

"...In many of the measures discussed above aimed at combating corruption, the underlying philosophy is one of eliminating the opportunity for corruption by changing incentives, by closing off loopholes and eliminating misconceived rules that encourage corrupt behavior. But an approach that focuses solely on changing the rules and the incentives, accompanied by appropriately harsh punishment for violation of the rules, is likely to be far more effective if it is also supported by efforts to buttress the moral and ethical foundation of human behavior..."

http://blogs.worldbank.org/futuredevelopment/six-strategies-fight-corruption

My dear friend @Dejenie have had a fine question about the issue!

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Do_you_think_corruption_in_all_its_variants_a_threat_to_contemporary_world

Ineligible and incompetent grab the opportunity to deprive the eligible and competent by offering money to those in power. People need to internalize and realize that such act is cancerous to the society and desist by themselves, otherwise this would become a merry-go-around of events.

Corruption in the politicians of a society is not limited to the politicians. Politicians are not aliens from outer space. They come from that same society. Where you experience a lot of corruption in the politicians, you will see the same in the public at large.

And it's usually an easy trap to fall into. It's the idea, "This is the way it's always done. There's no real harm in it."

So you accept a special favor, and you then do a special favor in return. It's only fair, right? Small things lead to bigger things, especially when these individuals reach any position of authority. "This is the way it's always done."

Yes, it may be more prevalent in poor countries, just because survival is a bigger struggle. So, everyone gets used to the idea of "special favors," and perhaps don't even understand that this is corruption. It's a very slippery slope. I think it's wrong to attribute the problem ONLY to politicians, or those in authority, though. It's more typically endemic to the entire culture. And it happens everywhere, to varying degrees.

To eliminate corruption, the very first thing that has to be done is a huge campaign to DEFINE WHAT IT IS. It's a bit like sexual harassment. You will find that most often, the worst offenders are totally oblivious. So the society as a whole has to be educated in what corrupt practices are. And the common denominator is always "special favors."

How can corruption be explained, reduced and eliminated altogether?

Think corruption is the outcome of a person's integrity issue driven by negative attributes like greed, self-centeredness, pride, jealousy, hypocrisy etc.

Not sure corruption can be eliminated at all but agreed with the comments shared by other researchers in their posts above to reduce corruption through various methods including some transparent whistle blowing programs.

Albert's is a comprehensive treatment of the subject. we shd think from there.