Corruption is routinely the focus of front page stories in mature democracies as well as in younger democracies. Astonishing stories come to light about bribery and payoffs in government and embezzlement and inappropriate enrichment in the private sector. The public is outraged, officials occasionally lose their jobs, committees are struck to investigate, reform measures are proposed, new laws are enacted, but soon after, the cycle begins all over again. Nothing much seems to change. Corruption has serious costs yet is remarkably difficult to police.Miriam Golden, the co-author along with Ray Fisman, of the recently published Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know.  Golden is Professor of Political Science at the University of California at Los Angeles and a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.