Alan Hudson

Power, corruption and political economy

Theme

Power, corruption and political economy

Why actors behave as they do in complex social systems, including systems of corruption, and how policy can work with those dynamics rather than against them.

Start here

Regulatory landscaping: Better late than never!How the notion of regulatory landscaping emerged from my work, with distant echoes from my earlier research. (Aug 2026)Complexity, corruption and change: the SOAS-ACE approachA lecture for a Basel Institute of Governance course on anti-corruption, with examples from Nigeria and Bangladesh. (Mar 2026)

Strands of work

★ marks pieces in Selected writing.

Regulatory landscaping

Understanding why actors behave as they do, and reshaping the landscape so that better patterns of behaviour can take hold. See also the practice page.

Complexity, corruption and change: a six-part series (2025)

How bright spots of positive deviance in broken systems can be entry points for change. Best read in order.

  1. ★ Learning from the political economy of positive deviance. Why bright spots matter, and a map of the series.
  2. Navigating the political economy of corruption. The SOAS-ACE approach of spiralling in on feasible, impactful entry points.
  3. Identifying entry points in systems of transnational corruption. Leverage points, applied to corruption that crosses borders.
  4. Power Positive and Islands of Integrity. What sustains integrity where you would least expect it.
  5. “Where is the jungle?”. Complex social systems as patterns of relating, in a landscape of power and incentives.
  6. Beyond the confines of conformity. What the journey taught me, and next steps in collaboration.

Power, relationships and learning

Market systems development

Also touching on this theme

Updates, and pieces mainly on other themes.

Topics in this theme

CorruptionPolitical economyHealth systemsRegulatory landscapingPowerPositive devianceAdaptive learningGovernanceContextKnowledge gardeningComplexityCollaborative political intelligenceEntry points and leverage pointsEmergence

See also: all topics

Exploring this theme in your own work? I’d love to hear what you’re discovering. Let’s connect.