It is through a process that societies arrive at accepted, workable conceptions of duty and limits upon the pursuit of self-interest in politics. It is through this process, often involving considerable conflict, that institutions and reforms either gain or fail to gain their legitimacy. Several significant developments must occur before the notion of corruption assumes specific meaning. One development is the emergence of a degree of political pluralism, whereby significant political demands can be made on those in power. Another development is the defining of bounded political roles with impersonal powers and obligations. A third development is dependent on the first two; it is the rise of a system of public order in which relatively durable and congruent social and legal standards define the limits of legitimate behavior by holders of government roles and by those who seek to influence them. Under this conception of corruption as a process, the most important goal for reformers is to reconcile state and society, i.e., to narrow the gap between social and legal values. American campaign finance reforms are examined as a reform failure, and Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption is profiled as a relatively effective reform effort. 62 notes