The new public corruption: Old questions for new challenges

This paper focuses on corruption in public procurement. It describes the contemporaryface of corruption by investigating the role of public accountability in the fight againstcorruption. The paper describes a specific episode of corruption relative to the awardingof government contracts for big events, such as the celebration of the 150th anniversaryof Italian unification. Relying on the philosophical insights of Rousseau, Popper, Kant andothers, the study suggests the need for enabling a democratic control and constructing apublic ethics for the common good.