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Legal Corruption and Dissatisfaction with Democracy in the European Union

Author

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  • Gustavo Gouvêa Maciel

    (Fundação Alexandre de Gusmão (FUNAG))

  • Luís de Sousa

    (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon (ICS-UL))

Abstract

Two developments have marked EU democracies, with different levels of incidence and intensity, during the past two decades: the decline in support for democracy and the spread of corruption. Most individual-level analyses have identified the incumbent’s economic performance or government effectiveness as sufficient explanations of citizens’ growing dissatisfaction with democracy; whilst corruption has been downplayed as an explanatory variable by these multifactor analyses. We contend that this has partly to do with conceptual and methodological failings in the way perceptions about the phenomenon are measured. Defining corruption as abuse of office is insufficient to understand how perceptions about the decline of ethical standards in public life can be relevant to shape specific support for democracy. In this article, we propose an alternative conceptualization that goes beyond what is proscribed in the penal codes and special criminal laws, which the literature has recently defined as legal/institutional corruption, and demonstrate how it can offer an interesting explanation of citizens’ perceptions of the way democracy works in a European context (EU-27 member states).

Suggested Citation

  • Gustavo Gouvêa Maciel & Luís de Sousa, 2018. "Legal Corruption and Dissatisfaction with Democracy in the European Union," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 653-674, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:140:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1779-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1779-x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Giulia Mugellini & Jean‐Patrick Villeneuve & Marlen Heide, 2021. "Monitoring sustainable development goals and the quest for high‐quality indicators: Learning from a practical evaluation of data on corruption," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 1257-1275, November.
    3. Nicholas Charron & Paola Annoni, 2021. "What is the Influence of News Media on People’s Perception of Corruption? Parametric and Non-Parametric Approaches," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 1139-1165, February.
    4. Selim Jurgen Ergun & M. Fernanda Rivas & Máximo Rossi, 2019. "Satisfaction with democracy in Latin America: Do the characteristics of the political system matter?," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 83(9), pages 353-383, July.
    5. Gustavo Gouvêa Maciel, 2021. "What We (Don't) Know so Far About Tolerance Towards Corruption in European Democracies: Measurement Approaches, Determinants, and Types," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 1131-1153, October.

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