This paper by Leonid Peisakhin and Paul Pinto details an experimental study conducted in Delhi, India, to assess the effectiveness of transparency and access to information as anti-corruption tools. The writers provide empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that regulatory reform such as enacting a Right to Information Act can result in better service delivery to the poor.
In this study the authors attempted to measure the amount of time it takes for a group of slum dwellers in Delhi to obtain a ration card. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups and a control group. The first experimental group submitted an information request under the Right to Information Act (RTIA) shortly after filing their ration card applications. Participants in the second experimental group presented a letter of support from a local non-governmental organization (NGO) with their application. The third group paid a bribe to a local official via a middleman and the fourth group - the control group - consisted of individuals who applied for the ration card in the standard prescribed procedure.
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