Who protests? An exploration of the class dimensions of anticorruption mobilization

Abstract

This article examines the role of economic class in mobilizing against corruption. Across several countries, recent anticorruption movements have been attributed to the growing urban middle class. Yet, existing studies have not examined how citizens view their own agency and how their views may be affected by their class position. We use Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer survey and a case study of India to critically examine the class dimensions of anticorruption mobilization. We find that citizens in middle‐income countries are most concerned with corruption. At the same time, those who identify as middle class are only slightly more likely than low‐income individuals to indicate a willingness to mobilize. In contrast, people who identify as high income are much less willing to engage with the issue. Our findings suggest that successful and sustained mobilization against corruption might require a coalition of middle‐and lower‐income groups.

How Does Corruption Affect the Adoption of Lobby Registers? A Comparative Analysis

“…Our explanation for this pattern is that politicians have an incentive to regulate lobbying if they want to push economic development forward and respond to middle class demand to reduce corruption. This finding fits with other research on corruption, which indicates that in middle-income countries citizens are most concerned about corruption (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019). Specifically, the legalization of professional lobbying creates certainty for corporations and increases the attractiveness of a country for foreign investors.…”

“…Especially among the wealthier European economies that have been racked by government scandal and public cynicism in recent years, there is a concerted effort by governmental authorities to win back the public's confidence through renewed transparency in the policymaking process. (Holman & Luneburg, 2012, p. 77) Against this background, we argue that policymakers will be particularly responsive especially to middle-class citizens' demands to reduce corruption if domestic economic development has resulted in improved working conditions, education and public services (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019). In these countries, governments want to reduce corruption-at least symbolically-because a high level of perceived corruption tends to stifle economic growth (Mauro, 1995) and causes discontent amongst citizens, especially in middle-income countries and countries with a large and growing middle class (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019).…”

“…(Holman & Luneburg, 2012, p. 77) Against this background, we argue that policymakers will be particularly responsive especially to middle-class citizens' demands to reduce corruption if domestic economic development has resulted in improved working conditions, education and public services (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019). In these countries, governments want to reduce corruption-at least symbolically-because a high level of perceived corruption tends to stifle economic growth (Mauro, 1995) and causes discontent amongst citizens, especially in middle-income countries and countries with a large and growing middle class (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019). In this case, policymakers consider it beneficial to regulate lobbying to signal that trading in influence will be prosecuted, and lobbying is a possible legal channel to seek political influence (Campos & Giovannoni, 2007).…”

“…This process is particularly likely to happen in EU and OECD member states (OECD, 2009), which have some level of corruption but strive to maintain their economic development and aim at being in good standing with the practices and emerging standards of IOs. In such contexts, citizens and civil society organizations are likely to monitor and sanction the behavior of elected officials and interest groups (Elster, 1998, p. 1) and to promote the adoption of international norms (Borz, 2019), as they aim at maintaining democratic standards and economic prosperity (Biswas & Vijaya, 2019). Empirically, this mechanism implies that the interaction between the size of the economy and the level of corruption should impact positively on the development of the economy.…”

Good governance: Concept, basics, and relationship to sustainable development from a Palestinian perspective

“…In addition to previous international institutional definitions, there are definitions of non‐Arab researchers such as Biswas (2022) who define good governance as processes that lead policy‐making and implementation and are characterized by participation, the rule of law, transparency and response, unanimous orientation, equity, inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability. Also, Hewitt de Alcántara (1998) defines it as the processes through which a more creative and less technical understanding of reform is integrated, more dialog on institutional and programmatic change, more concern to the public sphere (state and civil society) and how to promote it, more integration of economic policy and institutional reform, and more attention to national and international factors affecting governance.…”