How much does corruption in Illinois cost taxpayers? According to a new study, more than $1,300 per person.
According to the Northwest Indiana Times, a recent study conducted by Indiana University professor John Mikesell and Assistance Professor of Pubilc Policy at City University of Hong Kong found that crimes committed by elected officials in the most corrupt states in the U.S. – including Illinois—take a toll on residents.
The study determined that if states with higher than normal corruption had the average amount of corruption, they would have spent 5.2 percent less from 1997 to 2008—which comes to an average of $1,308 per person.
The professors dubbed that price a “corruption tax.”
"The empirical results show that states with higher levels of corruption tend to spend more on items on which corrupt officials may levy larger bribes at the expense of others," they said. "Policy makers should pay close attention that public resources are not used for private gains of the few but rather distributed effectively and fairly for various purposes."
According to the report, Illinois in 2013 spent $932.47 per person more than Indiana. Indiana also reportedly spent more than twice as much from its general fund on education than Illinois.
The complete study is published in the May/June issue of Public Administration Review.
