ABSTRACT

People tend to accept decisions if the process leading up to them is perceived as legitimate. However, the literature seldom asks if perceived legitimacy translates to compliant, non-corrupt behavior. Thus, the association between legitimacy and corruption is curiously understudied. This paper argues that, while legitimation may contribute to acceptance of authority, it does not necessarily lead to compliance with anti-corruption norms. Analysing a mature democracy characterised by absence of endemic corruption, it finds that while legitimacy may, to a small extent, contribute to compliance with anti-corruption norms, it is in most cases insufficient to overcome incentives of self-interested behavior. Instead, compliance with anti-corruption norms crucially depends on individuals’ perceptions of how willing others are to take part, or not to take part, in corruption. This implies support for the ‘social trap’-view of corruption, where credible enforcement of non-corruption norms is crucial to persuading people not to take part in it.

摘要

如果导致他们的过程被认为是合法的，人们往往会接受决定。然而，文献很少询问是否认为合法性转化为顺从、不腐败的行为。因此，合法性与腐败之间的关联好奇地被低估了。本文认为，虽然合法化可能有助于接受权威，但并不一定会导致遵守反腐败规范。分析一个以没有地方性腐败为特征的成熟民主，它发现虽然合法性可能在很小程度上有助于遵守反腐败规范，但在大多数情况下不足以克服自利行为的诱因。相反，遵守反腐败规范关键取决于个人对其他人参与或不参与腐败的意愿的看法。这意味着对腐败的“社会陷阱”观点的支持，在这种观点中，可靠地执行非腐败规范对于说服人们不要参与其中至关重要。