Evaluation of the Policymaking System and Institutions for Combating Administrative Corruption in Afghanistan during the Republican Period (2004–2021)

Abstract

Administrative corruption was one of the most significant governance challenges in Afghanistan during the Republican period (2004–2021), with far-reaching effects on political legitimacy, state efficiency, and public trust. In response to this challenge, the Afghan government, with the support of the international community, established a set of laws, strategies, and specialized anti-corruption institutions. The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the policies and institutions for combating administrative corruption during the Republican period. The research method was descriptive-analytical, and the data were collected through the review of legal documents, national strategies, official reports, and scholarly sources. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the integration of institutionalism, good governance theory, public choice theory, the public policy cycle, and a justice-oriented approach. The findings indicate that although the Afghan government made considerable progress in the areas of legislation, the establishment of specialized institutions, and the acceptance of international commitments, these measures failed to lead to a sustainable reduction in corruption. Examination of the policy cycle shows that the most significant weakness emerged at the stages of policy implementation and oversight. Furthermore, the weakness of formal institutions, the influence of informal power networks, conflicts of interest and rent-seeking, limited transparency and accountability, dependence on foreign aid, and the gap between policymaking and implementation were among the most important factors contributing to the relative failure of anti-corruption policies. The results of the study indicate that the success of anti-corruption policies depends, more than on the enactment of new laws, on strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring the independence of oversight and judicial institutions, reducing the influence of informal power networks, and establishing effective mechanisms of accountability and transparency.