Corruption erodes social trust more in democracies than in autocracies

5 hours ago

Corruption erodes social trust more in democracies than in autocracies due to normative amplification and representative contagion mechanisms.
Democracies' foundational commitments to equality and impartiality make trust highly sensitive to institutional failure.
In democracies, corruption violates core fairness norms and implicates the citizenry that elected corrupt officials, whereas in autocracies, corruption is expected and elites are seen as separate from ordinary citizens.
Multilevel analysis of data from 62 countries shows that perceiving corruption predicts lower generalized trust almost universally, but this effect is stronger in democracies.
The study reveals an asymmetric vulnerability: democratic accountability structures make social capital fragile, threatening the trust necessary for democratic cooperation.
Findings suggest that corruption scandals in democracies can generate significant political crises, while autocracies weather corruption with limited social consequences.
Anti-corruption efforts in democracies may need to be accompanied by strategies to rebuild social trust, such as visible accountability and reaffirmation of democratic norms.
The study contributes to understanding micro-foundations of regime stability, showing how institutions shape mass psychology regarding corruption and trust.

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