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The perception of corruption

Author

Listed:
  • Natalia Melgar

    (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República)

  • Máximo Rossi

    (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República)

  • Tom W. Smith

    (NORC/University of Chicago)

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the foundations of corruption perception. Even when we employ the concept of corruption in several areas and its connotations vary widely depending on societies and people, it is possibly to find some elements in common which are connected with the misuse of public office with the purpose of making private gains. This paper focuses on this wide concept of corruption. We use data from the module on Citizenship of the 2004 International Social Survey Program (ISSP). Ordered probit models were estimated in order to study the impact of independent variables on the perception of corruption. We conclude that there are significant socio-demographic variables: gender, marital status, religiosity, education and sector of employment, among others. Additionally, we find that country of residence matters and that there are similar results among countries with common characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalia Melgar & Máximo Rossi & Tom W. Smith, 2008. "The perception of corruption," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0508, Department of Economics - dECON.
    • Handle: RePEc:ude:wpaper:0508
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/2112
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Montinola, Gabriella R. & Jackman, Robert W., 2002. "Sources of Corruption: A Cross-Country Study," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(1), pages 147-170, January.
    2. Inna Cabelkova, 2001. "Perceptions of Corruption in Ukraine: Are They Correct?," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp176, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Anita K Zonebia & Arief Anshory Yusuf & Heriyaldi, 2015. "Income and Education as the determinants of Anti-Corruption Attitudes: Evidence from Indonesia," Working Papers in Economics and Development Studies (WoPEDS) 201502, Department of Economics, Padjadjaran University, revised Apr 2015.
    2. Giorgina Piani & Natalia Melgar & Máximo Rossi, 2009. "Are there differences between perception of corruption at public and private sector? A multi-country analysis," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0109, Department of Economics - dECON.
    3. Natalia Melgar & Máximo Rossi & Tom W. Smith, 2013. "Individual Attitudes Toward Others, Misanthropy Analysis in a Cross-Country Perspective," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(1), pages 222-241, January.
    4. Victoria Butmalai & Liu Qijun, 2021. "A Perception-based Investigation on Corruption in Higher Education: Evidence from the Republic of Moldova," Journal of Public Administration and Governance, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(1), pages 201222-2012, December.
    5. Natalia Melgar & Máximo Rossi & Tom W. Smith, 2008. "The perception of corruption in a cross-country perspective: Why are some individuals more perceptive than others?," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 1808, Department of Economics - dECON.
    6. Jinwon Han, 2023. "Examining Determinants of Corruption at the Individual Level in South Asia," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-24, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corruption; microeconomic behavior; comparative research; public opinion; ISSP;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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