Words like "astonished" and "stunned" peppered newspapers last week as Americans responded to news that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested in the midst of a "political corruption crime spree." The governor's brazen exploitation of the state's highest office for personal gain, and his alleged attempts to sell president-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat, are indeed outrageous.

But there's a silver lining to this story. We are fortunate to be in a position to be appalled. That the country was so bowled over by the allegations shows that, to some degree, Americans still have faith in government to be accountable and honest. That Blagojevich was arrested at all says a lot about the government's ability to deliver on that expectation.

It's not that we're naïve about abuse of power among elected officials, or that we expect politicians to be saints. After all, Blagojevich's predecessor, George Ryan, is currently serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence for steering millions in state business to his friends in exchange for cash. A week before the presidential election, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was convicted of violating the Ethics in Government Act. The list could go on.

The situation looks a lot less bleak, though, when framed with a global perspective. The assumption that corruption is typically exposed and the perpetrator punished is not universal. In many parts of the world, the prosecution of Blagojevich's crime is a lot more surprising than the crime itself.

According to Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, which ranks 180 countries based on how much corruption is perceived to exist among public officials-but not on how much actually exists, it's worth noting-the US ranks 18.

In India, which slipped in the rankings from 72 in 2007 to 85 in 2008, more than four out of five people surveyed said police and political parties are corrupt. Ninety percent - the highest of any country - said they expect corruption to increase in the next three years.

The belief that elected officials are more often corrupt than not, expressed throughout the recent assembly poll elections, resurfaced as Times of India readers responded to news of Blagojevich's arrest last week.

One reader, Rahul, said that corrupt politicians in India are more likely to be "rewarded with a cabinet seat" than arrested.

J. Patil of Panvel commented that the governor's downfall "should serve as a warning to the 'money-thirsty' politicians of India."

Harsha, writing from Chicago, said: "If this were to be implemented in India, then all politicians and govt officials will be behind bars."

It's a common sentiment across the globe.

"The indictment reads like a typical day in the life of a Filipino politician," wrote Ana Marie Pamintuan of The Philippine Star on Monday. "The difference is that in the United States, a governor can be indicted and arrested for something like this."

The Philippines ranks 141 on the Corruption Perception Index.

In Mexico, which ranks 72 on the Index, Manuel Jauregui of Reforma observed on Wednesday that, "the Mexican Blagojeviches, so precious, will receive applause and will be depicted on murals."

Said a reader of the Mail & Guardian in South Africa, which ranks 54: "It helps to have a police force willing and capable of investigating corrupt officials. Imagine that! The government would probably be run from jail if our guys were investigated efficiently."

In Nigeria, which ranks 121, journalist Obi Nwakanma wrote in the Vanguard on Sunday that "the problem with Nigeria is the impunity of the state. .. The assumption of public office, often unregulated by law, seems to endow the Nigerian public servant with what they see as the power of God."

"In the pantheon of political corruption," wrote Pornpimol Kanchanalak in Bangkok's The Nation on Thursday, "Thailand definitely has its place above Illinois by several notches. And the most telling thing is, over there in Illinois they call corruption a crime." Thailand ranks 80 on the Index.

Blagojevich's boundless arrogance and greed, and flagrant abuse of the governorship, is plenty discouraging. But his arrest and ouster from office (any day now?) may also be evidence that the American system for weeding out corruption is working.