TI believes that keeping corruption in check is only feasible if representatives from government, business and civil society work together and agree on a set of standards and procedures they all support. TI also believes that corruption cannot be rooted out in one big sweep. Rather, fighting it is a step-by-step, project-by-project process. Finally, TI's non-confrontational approach is necessary to get all relevant parties to the table.

The Barometer assesses the general public's views of corruption, while the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) focuses on expert views. While the Barometer also addresses the experience of individuals (petty) corruption, the CPI reflects the perceptions of informed observers on corruption in the public sector and politics. Despite these differences, there is considerable correlation between the two surveys each year (The statistical correlation coefficient is 0.66 in 2007).

The TI Barometer explores citizens' opinions and experiences with corruption while the Global Corruption Report (GCR) presents an in depth-assessment of the state of corruption around the world, presented in a book form. Recent editions of the Global Corruption Barometer have included an additional set of questions tailored to the focal topic of the GCR, in order to complement the analysis in the Report.

The Barometer is a public opinion survey, while the Bribe Payers Index is drawn from a survey of business experts. The Barometer offers the views of the general public on corruption and its impact on their lives, as well as the experience of corruption. The BPI is a measure of insider opinion on the supply side of corruption and does not include empirical data.

The TI Global Corruption Barometer 2007 (or the Barometer) is the fifth edition of a public opinion survey that assesses the general public's perceptions and experience of corruption. This year's Barometer polls more than 63,199 people in 60 countries.

TI focuses on corruption in the public sector and defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. The surveys used in compiling the CPI tend to ask questions in line with the misuse of public power for private benefits, with a focus, for example, on the bribing of public officials or giving and taking of kickbacks in public procurement.

The CPI assesses expert perceptions of levels of public sector corruption across countries, while the Global Corruption Barometer (see http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/gcb) is concerned with attitudes toward and experiences of corruption among the general public.

In theory there are no restrictions on which countries can be included. In some editions of the Barometer, when Gallup International is not able to survey a particular country, TI chapters or other organisations implemented the survey. Funding permitting, TI hopes to be able to include more countries in the Barometer in years to come, particularly more developing countries.

The TI Global Corruption Barometer is the only worldwide public opinion survey on perception and experience of corruption. As a poll of the general public, this year again covering 60 countries, it provides an indicator of the relative success of efforts to curb corruption around the world.

The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index is a ranking of countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. The Global Corruption Report (GCR) presents an in depth-assessment of the state of corruption around the world.

Corruption has a devastating impact on the environment. It is the enemy of environmental protection and a major obstacle to environmental management. Where natural resources are abundant, the incidence of corruption appears to increase. Corruption helps accelerate the exploitation of resources without regard to environmental impact. Natural resource development is usually capital intensive and this commands the attention of corrupt politicians and officials.

Around the globe, corruption impacts people's lives in a multitude of ways. In the worst cases, corruption costs lives. In countless other cases, it costs their freedom, health, or money. Here are a few examples:In May 2000, 950 people were injured and 22 killed, when a fireworks factory in Enschede, the Netherlands, burst into flames.

Corruption can grow in a variety of political and economic environments but it thrives when bad government makes it impossible to control.

Its impact is difficult to measure directly because corruption normally occurs within institutions, which have other inadequacies and weaknesses. It is therefore difficult to separate out corruption as an independent variable especially because corruption appears to be both a cause and effect of inefficient and unaccountable institutions. What is clear is that, when taken with other forms of institutional weakness, corruption is a cause of low economic growth.