The Threat of Political Corruption to Environmental Sustainability in West Africa

• In Event: Poster Session: New Perspectives in Political Science Research: Scholarship by Vanderbilt REU Students

Abstract

Corruption is a serious threat to the political and economic development of West Africa. Previous research asserts that political corruption hinders economic growth and sustainability in West African countries and promotes environmental degradation. How does political corruption affect environmental sustainability within these countries? I hypothesize that countries in West Africa with high levels of political corruption will have lower levels of environmental sustainability. I use the Political Corruption Index and the Bertelsmann Transformation Index to discover correlates and contributors in the relationship between political corruption and environmental sustainability in five countries in West Africa. This study can inform policy decisions for countries where high levels of political corruption negatively affect environmental sustainability.

Authors

• Ama P. Baffour, Howard University

• Emily Hencken Ritter, Vanderbilt University