It is pointless to talk about aid efforts and reform plans that will somehow change the situation in spite of the fact that the country has made remarkably little progress to date, constant media reports that corruption is as much the rule as the exception and official reports that make the same point.

Kontext: Es geht hier um Afghanistan. In diesem Abschnitt werden die dringlichsten innenpolitischen Probleme des Landes analysiert.

Wie ist die Formulierungas much the rule as the exception zu verstehen?

Danke für Eure Hilfe!