Experimenting with corruption — an analysis of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention through the lens of experimentalism

The impact of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention ("the Convention") has been substantial, but foreign bribery and corrupt conduct remain significant global challenges. This Article introduces the theoretical framework of experimental governance and argues that experimentalism is well suited to addressing the challenges currently facing transnational anti-corruption efforts. The Article is the first to analyze the Convention through the lens of experimental governance, illustrating that the Convention, its peer review mechanism, and subsequent recommendations, each have experimentalist qualities. However, current efforts are constrained. The Article presents opportunities to further integrate experimentalist governance into the OECD approach and thus enhance the impact and effectiveness of anti-bribery efforts.