This book documents what happens when people encounter public officials. It draws on multi-national Barometer surveys asking questions about corruption and bribery in 119 countries. Clear prose, tables and figures report the answers given by more than 250,000 people and the conclusion sets out six principles for reducing bribery.

This book explains why the role of corruption varies greatly between public services, between people, between national systems of governance, and between measures of corruption. When public officials do not act as bureaucrats delivering services by the book, people can try to get them by hook or by crook.