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Increasing insecurity, a growing insurgency and a perceived faltering in the international community’s resolve to stay the course in Afghanistan causes its nervous citizens to think in the short term. They see public office as a short cut to illicit enrichment and insurance against future disaster. Such circumstances are conducive to corruption, collusion, bid rigging and the development of cartels.

Fighting corruption depends on the complex business of helping people to believe in their long-term future. But we can also make progress in small steps. Here is a simple example. My office recently carried out a pilot reform of the vehicle registration process. We found that it takes more than a month, 51 steps or signatures and on average $400-500 in bribes for an ...