An Integrative Literature Review of Corruption, Governance, and Political Dynamics in Social Assistance Policy Effectiveness
- AIOR Admin
- Nov 16
- 1 min read
Wimmy Haliim
Brawijaya University, Indonesia
Despite billions invested in social assistance programs globally, poverty reduction outcomes remain highly variable across developing countries. This integrative literature review synthesizes 111 peer-reviewed articles (2024-2025) to examine how corruption, governance quality, and political dynamics interact to affect social assistance policy effectiveness. The review reveals significant research asymmetry: technical policy implementation receives 43.2% of scholarly attention while political economy dimensions receive only 13.5%, despite documented evidence that political manipulation substantially undermines programs. Systematic categorization and synthesis identify two integrative pathways. The weak governance pathway demonstrates how institutional deficiencies enable both corruption and politicization to operate reinforcingly, with resources diverted from poverty reduction to political and corrupt purposes, resulting in program failure. Conversely, the strong governance pathway reveals how institutional strength simultaneously constrains corruption and political manipulation, enabling effective poverty reduction. However, strong institutions prove extraordinarily difficult to establish and maintain, requiring sustained political commitment that conflicts with incumbent power holders' interests. This integration across previously isolated research traditions reveals that poverty persistence despite policy investment reflects not technical failures but fundamentally a governance and political challenge, requiring institutional strengthening alongside policy design reform. The review establishes governance quality as a critical nexus determining whether social assistance reduces poverty or perpetuates it.
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