The price of accountability: corruption erodes social trust more in democracies than in autocracies

Hacker News.

Ultimately, our findings point to a potential fragility in democracies. If democracy is built on a social contract that requires mutual trust among citizens, and if corruption perceptions undermine that trust more strongly in democratic contexts, then democracies may face a vulnerability that autocracies do not. When citizens perceive corruption, they may lose faith not only in their leaders but also in each other. As democracies worldwide face challenges from polarization, populism, and institutional decay, understanding how institutional context shapes the social consequences of corruption may be important for preserving democratic resilience.