What is State Capture
Reading time: 2 minutesTL;DR
State capture is a form of political corruption where vested interests have undue influence or total control over the state - a government.
The World Bank defines state capture as “the exercise of power by private actors — through control over resources, threat of violence, or other forms of influence — to shape policies or implementation in service of their narrow interest”.
Explanation
We think politicians run our countries, but they don’t. Rich powerful industries influence politicians through donations, advertising campaigns, funding think tanks and outright threats. They won’t sit idly by if their billions of dollars are jeopardised by politicians.
The fossil fuel industry is so powerful in many countries it has an undue influence on policy settings and regulations. How else do you explain the continuation of massive subsidies to expand fossil fuel production in the middle of a climate crisis?
It’s not the only industry - think the military industrial complex, or the gun manufacturers in the United States. State capture buggers up democracy royally.
Does state capture explain our inaction on climate change? It is not the only factor, but it is a leading one in states with large privatised fossil fuel industries (e.g. United States, Australia). But in a lot of countries the fossil industry is already owned by the government, e.g. Norway, Saudi Arabia.
Further reading
Confronting State Capture 2022
Rigged: How networks of powerful mates rip off everyday Australians