Social Support and Corruption: Structural Determinants of Corruption in the World

Abstract

Corruption is a growing global epidemic. Our understanding of its causes is limited. Combining data from several sources, the current article tests the validity of social support theory in explaining corruption in an integrated structural model. The findings support our theoretical speculation: our social support measure is a strong predictor of corruption in the model. In addition, undemocratic governments with inadequate checks and balances indirectly contribute to the high level of corruption in a nation. Democracy promotes human development and bolsters social support for citizens' wellbeing, both of which reduce the level of corruption in a nation. Inequality fosters corruption indirectly through reduced human development and reduced social support. We conclude that criminologists need not await the determinations of international legal systems to study scathing behavior, such as corruption.