What is state capture and why does it matter?
Different forms are distinguished by who exercises control and which institutions they target
TL;DR
- State capture involves dominant groups controlling decisions or appropriating benefits intended for others.
- Forms include elite, corporate/oligarchic, kleptocratic, narco/criminal, and regulatory capture.
- Examples include South Africa's Gupta scandal and Peru under Alberto Fujimori.
- Narco and criminal capture involve drug traffickers and illicit enterprises influencing public authority.
- Regulatory capture occurs when oversight bodies align too closely with the industries they regulate.
- Combating capture requires transparency, independent investigators, protected whistleblowers, and free media and civic organizations.