| ID | 186701 |
| Title Proper | Curse of Good Intentions |
| Other Title Information | Why Anticorruption Messaging Can Encourage Bribery |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cheeseman, Nic ; Peiffer, Caryn ; CARYN PEIFFER |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Awareness-raising messages feature prominently in most anticorruption strategies. Yet, there has been limited systematic research into their efficacy. There is growing concern that anticorruption awareness-raising efforts may be backfiring; instead of encouraging citizens to resist corruption, they may be nudging them to “go with the corrupt grain.” This study offers a first test of the effect of anticorruption messaging on ordinary people’s behavior. A household-level field experiment, conducted with a representative sample in Lagos, Nigeria, is used to test whether exposure to five different messages about (anti)corruption influence the outcome of a “bribery game.” We find that exposure to anticorruption messages largely fails to discourage the decision to bribe, and in some cases it makes individuals more willing to pay a bribe. Importantly, we also find that the effect of anticorruption messaging is conditioned by an individual’s preexisting perceptions regarding the prevalence of corruption. |
| `In' analytical Note | American Political Science Review Vol. 116, No.3; Aug 2022: p.1081 - 1095 |
| Journal Source | American Political Science Review 2022-09 116, 3 |
| Key Words | Encourage Bribery |