QoG lunch seminar with Sarah Brierley

Authors: Sarah Brierley och Mathias Poertner

Abstract: Combating corruption remains a central problem for many governments. Disillusionment with corrupt officials can lead voters to turn their backs on democracy and lure them toward supporting authoritarian alternatives. In collaboration with two major political parties in North Macedonia, we conduct an experiment that exposes citizens to parties’ anti-corruption pledges in the run-up to an election. We theorize that cross-party anti-corruption pledges will have stronger effects on citizens’ beliefs that politicians are committed to fighting corruption than messages from a single party. We also expect that anti-corruption platforms that are endorsed by civil society organizations will be perceived by voters as more credible. Our results would imply that opposition parties and civil society actors should be brought into anti-corruption initiatives alongside ruling parties to fight corruption and sustain voters’ support for democratic rule.