Is it possible to overcome the corruption?

The article examines the definitions of corruption in terms of its impact on the performance of society and the state. The author considers how corruption manifests itself in countries with different types of public administration. The paper investigates an origin of the preconditions for the development of measures to prevent corruption by international institutions, and shows the evolution of a conceptual understanding of the place of corruption in the relationship between the state and civil society. The author traces the emergence of anti-corruption movement in the early 1990s and its stages, shows the creation of tools for measuring and preventing corruption. The particular attention is paid to the role of civil society and democratic principles in the implementation of democratic changes and the mobilization of social forces to counter corruption; as well as to the potential of modern information technology.