Conventional anti-corruption tools often fail to address root causes - but loss of US leadership could still spell trouble for efforts abroad

"In February 2025, an executive order froze new investigations for 180 days, arguing that the act has been "stretched beyond proper bounds" and "harms American economic competitiveness." The president ordered a review of enforcement guidelines to ensure they advance U.S. interests and competitiveness. The Department of Justice's revised guidelines, issued in June 2025, prioritize cases that are tied to cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, harm U.S. companies or their "fair access to compete," or involve "infrastructure or assets" important for national security."

"Whatever impact the new guidelines will have on anti-corruption prosecutions globally, which is still unclear, the impact on the actual level of corruption will likely be small. Legal rules and sanctions designed to deter, find and punish "bad apples" have had limited success in many parts of the world. Yet the United States' retreat from leadership could set back momentum for addressing the root causes of corruption."

Since 1977 the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from bribing foreign officials, and since 1998 it has covered foreign companies listed in or operating in the United States. A 2025 executive order paused new FCPA investigations for 180 days and directed a review of enforcement to protect American competitiveness. Revised Department of Justice guidelines prioritize cartel and transnational criminal cases, harms to U.S. companies' fair access to compete, and threats involving infrastructure or national-security assets. Today a global infrastructure of treaties and institutions obligates countries to criminalize corruption, adopt measures to prevent it and cooperate to recover stolen assets. All but a few members of the United Nations have adopted the U.N. Convention Against Corruption.

Read at The Conversation