Abstract

PETERSEN CORTES, German. Corruption scandals and interpersonal trust: Evidence from Mexico. Rev. Mex. Sociol [online]. 2023, vol.85, n.2, pp.371-399.  Epub May 05, 2023. ISSN 2594-0651.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iis.01882503p.2023.2.60563.

The consequences of corruption scandals for interpersonal trust have been overlooked. Using time-series survey data from the Mexican states, this paper finds that corruption scandals harm interpersonal trust. More specifically, corruption scandals decrease trust in coworkers/classmates and friends. In contrast, trust in neighbors, already low, is not affected by those scandals. Trust in family/relatives is, under certain circumstances, even strengthened by scandals, possibly due to a “substitution” effect provoked by the loss of trust in other relationships.

Keywords : interpersonal trust; corruption; scandals; social capital; Mexico.