In the long-running television drama “House,” the ornery and unconventional medical genius Dr. Gregory House masterfully diagnoses the sources of mysterious illnesses. The secret to House’s success stems from his ability to see the big picture, understand how all of a human body’s various systems interact with each other, and spot patterns that no one else detects.

The same skills would enable House to thrive in the complex field of corruption issue intake and management. Conventional wisdom holds that this is a relatively simple, straightforward, and discrete process. But the conventional wisdom is wrong.