Morris (political science, Middle Tennessee State U.) and Blake (political science, James Madison U.) offer a comparative examination of the politics of corruption in the form of national case studies addressing common issues, including the history of corruption in each country, the impact of corruption on politics and on the public perceptions of political systems, the impact of corruption on regime legitimacy and stability, mechanisms of accountability and transparency, the role of the state and nonstate actors, and the real and potential effectiveness of the reforms. The case studies explore the specifics of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)