Awaken the theory spirits

Right. So it seems that my 'motivational' blog project has fallen by the wayside – at least, my promise to write weekly has certainly not been fulfilled. But, I forgive myself since it's been a very fruitful (though, as always, not fruitful enough by DPhil standards) term for theorising and generally getting a grip on all things DPhil. After months of stress and self-torture, I've finally churned out something that is taking me in the right direction, albeit it is nowhere near the final destination of what I am trying to explain. In short, I have sorted out some important trends concerning corruption and accountability mechanisms in democracy. According to me, multiple principals (competing principals) blur the lines of accountability and provide opportunities for instituting public policies that help promote, or at least not deter, corrupt exchanges. This may seem very 'duh' to people, but I find that this pattern holds beyond the regime type, such as in situations where political parties are not the only conduit to political power. After my short-lived pat on the back for myself, I got a deserved swift kick in the behind from my supervisor who suggested that after all these years, I have been looking at the wrong level of analysis. It's time to toss the individual politicians and their relationship with parties and instead concentrate on parties and voters. Well, at least it's better than her previous comment of – "What is this?" Onward and upward!