Trust and corruption

Willie Sutton, one of America’s most famous criminals, was asked by a judge at one of his trials why he robbed banks. “That’s where they keep the money, ” he replied. That’s one man’s story, based firmly in rational choice theory. Why do others rob banks, refuse to pay their taxes, or flout the law more generally? To why people pay little heed to the law, we would generally consider their life histories and the economic and social psychological forces that tear them away from a sense of social responsibility. Or, as the gang member in West Side Story sang, “I’m depraved on account of I’m deprived. ” My concern here is not about why individuals pay little heed to the law, but rather why respect for the law is greater in some countries compared to others–and why this matters. In particular I shall investigate the relationship between corruption and trust. Corruption is illegal (or barely legal) behavior by political elites, to manipulate the affairs of state for private gain. Trust is a value expressing the belief that others are part of your moral community. It lays the basis for cooperation with people who are different from yourself (Uslaner, 2002). What is not at issue is that the two are strongly related. Trusting societies have less corruption.1 People who have faith in others are more likely to endorse strong standards of moral and legal behavior