Shaazka Beyerle; Curtailing Corruption: People Power for Accountability and Justice – Book review

Focusing on citizens' initiatives against corruption, Beyerle’s book brings a refreshing new perspective to the study of civil resistance and nonviolent action, and how to counter this particular type of misconduct from the bottom-up. Beyerle’s more than seven case studies from Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Uganda, and elsewhere add deep insight into how grassroots initiatives can be organized and performed in campaigns that blacklist corrupt politicians, monitor development projects, or organize citizens to protect an anti-corruption institution, as done in Indonesia. The case studies include many concrete examples of practical campaign tools, such as the “zero-rupee” note from India, useful to hand over to civil servants asking for an extra “fee.” Each case is systematically structured with a description of the case and its context, the campaign attributes, outcomes, case analysis, and lessons learned.