Why Do We Distrust Politicians? A Theory on the Corruption of Politics

The central thesis of this article is that one of the most important reasons behind this disturbing trend is political corruption. Traditionally, the absence of a comprehensive framework and knowledge concerning the causes, consequences and nature of corruption caused that the social scientists have assessed corruption in western democracies on a basis that tends toward a criminal law perspective. Most of the western democracies do not have high criminal corruption. As a consequence, corruption was not considered an important variable when political disaffection in the most developed countries was analysed. But political corruption is more than bribery. Political corruption is the corruption of politics. That means all kind of actions where political actors break the rules of (democratic) political game and put their private interests before anything else.

Among all things considered, we have to say that political corruption is an important threat to democratic institutions and processes. It has negative political, economic and social consequences. Politically, it reduces the quality of democracy and governmental performance, and it creates bad social capital. When corruption is high there is not political equality, preferential treatment for the most corrupts is the rule in certain democracies where the corrupt networks have the power. Corrupt politicians and civil servants have a positive interest in an inefficient public administration, because they can then selectively offer protection from such inconveniences. Corruption requires trust among the actors who take part in illegal exchanges; this trust favours the spread of dense social networks, but these networks are synonymous with clientelism and bribery. Political corruption reproduces these networks. Economically, it impedes development and discourages investment. Socially, it promotes economic and psychological inequality and spreads parochial and particularised trust. Particularised trust avoids the generation of generalised and inclusive trust, and generalised trust is essential for social solidarity and fair policy making.

In a democratic system, politics should be about how to identify and promote the general interest respecting the rules of the game. Politicians should remember that. The article ends by asserting that the only way to legitimate politics and political parties is to elect and to sustain politicians who are prone to defend consistently the general interest and who continually respect the democratic principles and rules of the political game.