12Jan 2026
Bi-annual Meeting at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon (Portugal)
10:33 - By Mónika Bancsina
International Political Science Association
Research Committee 20 on Political Finance and Political Corruption
Bi-annual Meeting at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon (Portugal)
March 30th-April 1st, 2026
Conveners
Luís de Sousa, ICS-ULisboa (Portugal)
Guillaume Fontaine, FLACSO (Ecuador)
Mission Statement
The Research Committee on Political Finances and Political Corruption (RC20) is endorsed by the International
Political Science Association (IPSA). Its members examine the multifaceted role of money and resources in
political life and public governance, encompassing all dimensions of party and campaign finance, lobbying,
revolving doors, media manipulation and other mechanisms of undue political influence. The committee
investigates corruption in its diverse forms – personal, institutional, and systemic – and the interactions between
political finance, ethical governance, and public accountability.
RC20 scholars engage in the conceptual development and empirical testing of theories on political finance,
corruption, and regulatory oversight, fostering cross-national and comparative research. The committee seeks to
understand the causes, consequences, and mitigation strategies for illicit political finance and political
corruption, including the implications for democratic support, political stability, public trust, and policy
effectiveness.
RC20 also focuses on emerging challenges in the field, such as transnational corruption, illicit flows, political
finance in authoritarian and hybrid regimes, digitalization of campaigns, and new tools for transparency and
enforcement. The committee maintains a global perspective of the dynamics in political finance and political
corruption.
Through research collaboration, scientific dissemination, and advanced postgraduate training, RC20 aims to
advance rigorous scholarship and inform policy design, to strengthen democratic institutions worldwide.
Objectives
The Research Committee on Political Finance and Political Corruption (RC20) will organize its next biannual
meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, hosted by the Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa (ICS-ULisboa)
and with the institutional support of the Associação Portuguesa de Ciência Política (APCP), from March 30 to
April 1, 2026. The workshop will bring together committee members and scholars in the field to present and
discuss current research on political finance and corruption, fostering comparative analysis and collaboration
across regions and disciplines.
Format
The workshop will be organised into thematic panels (the final number will depend on the quality of paper
proposals received). Each panel will comprise three to four papers, two discussants, and one chair. Each paper
presenter will have 20 minutes to present their work. Once all panel presentations are completed, the
discussant(s) will deliver a set of oral comments lasting approximately 20 minutes. The panel chair will then
open the floor for questions and general discussion.
The programme will also feature a keynote lecture by an invited scholar, offering a broad perspective on
contemporary debates in the study of political finance and corruption, as well as a roundtable discussion entitled
“Methodological Challenges and Data Gaps in An5-Corrup5on Research.” In addition, an RC20 business meeting
will be scheduled, during which members will review past activities, plan future initiatives, and explore
opportunities for collaboration.
Only participants presenting a paper will be included in the programme. Papers should be preferably
unpublished. For co-authored papers, only one author will be scheduled to present, although this does not
preclude co-authors from attending the workshop.
The workshop will be held in person, with a maximum of 50 participants. No participation fees will be
charged.
Call for contributions
We invite scholars and postgraduate students to submit a 500-word abstract clearly outlining the research aims,
methods employed, main findings, and avenues for further inquiry.
We welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Electoral Integrity under Threat. Looks at vote-buying, illicit campaign financing, and challenges to electoral accountability worldwide.
- Corruption as a Public Policy Issue. Examines how corruption shapes, and is shaped by, policy design, implementation, and governance outcomes.
- Illicit Economies and Political Corruption. Investigates how organized crime, narco-politics, and money laundering influence political funding.
- Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Corruption Control: Opportunities, Risks, and Ethical Challenges. Explores the opportunities, risks, and ethical challenges associated with the use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in corruption prevention and control.
- Citizen Oversight and Whistleblowing in the 21st Century. Focuses on civil society, media, and individuals exposing corruption, and the role of whistleblower protections.
- Measuring Success in Anti-Corruption Collective Action. Evaluates how government, anticorruption agencies, business, and civil society coalitions achieve (or fail to achieve) anti-corruption goals.
- Rethinking Political Ethics Regulation in Fragmented and Polarized Political Contexts. Examines the challenges of designing, adopting, and enforcing political ethics regulations when political actors are divided, institutional trust is low, and incentives for opportunistic behaviour and symbolic action are high.
- New Governmental and Non-Governmental Anti-Corruption Actors, Specialisation and Institutional Capacity. Examines the role, degree of specialisation, and effectiveness of emerging governmental and non-governmental anti-corruption actors – such as anti-corruption agencies, specialised courts, audit bodies, and anti-corruption civil society organisations – across different national contexts.
- Critical Perspectives on Anti-Corruption. Offers critical reflections on concepts, metrics, and theories of corruption and anti-corruption, with particular attention to alternative perspectives and contributions from the Global South.
The meeting aims at excellence by striking a balance between consolidated and original research. Comparative
methods are encouraged, including cross-country or sub-national analysis, longitudinal studies, and paired
comparisons. Fairness of geographical spread, gender and age will be taken into consideration when selecting
participants.
Please submit abstract proposals to RC20 Chairs Luís de Sousa (luis.sousa@ics.ulisboa.pt) and Guillaume
Fontaine (gfontaine@flacso.edu.ec) by February 1, 2026.
IMPORTANT DATES
February 1, 2026: Abstract submission deadline
February 8, 2026: Acceptance emails sent to presenters
March 1, 2026: Reception of draft papers
March 8, 2026: Detailed Programme
March 30-April 1, 2026: In-Person RC20 meeting to be held in Lisbon, Portugal