Corruption & Politics: Do Liberals Care More?

While the cases of corruption there (and those that may come) occupy covers, there is a question that plans on political social gatherings and in the chief of the electoral strategists: will the corruption punish, the voters? A doubt that is often associated with another: the left punishes corruption more than the right? An extensive search in various disciplines tells us that corruption does not always punish its managers in the polls, for various reasons, from the idea that “clothes, but at least it does things” to the difficulty of identifying who was responsible. Also by the means consumed, which can generate a distorted view of the case. However, one of the most powerful mechanisms is the old one of “ No hunchback is seen the GEP, or any horns ” or, in more technical terms, partisan and ideological glasses make their own corruption cases despise (“ they are only rotten apples ”) and almost only those of rivals are valued.

The right, more tolerant of corrupt practices (with exceptions)

However, is this a global trend or affects some ideological groups rather than others? A popular stereotype supported by some would tell us that the left, worried mainly about moral issues, have more aversion to corruption and punish it much more than right. This last block would be more pragmatic and would even be accustomed to these practices.

The Anti-Fraud Office barometers regularly include questions about corrupt practices in the citizen, such as staying with a portfolio of € 200 despite knowing who it is, calling a friendly doctor to avoid waiting list or hiring a VAT service, among others. If we look at the data, almost 9 out of 10 left -wing people consider these practices at all. However, between the right or far right people, between 6 and 7 people out of 10 they justify them. Interestingly, when asked about institutional corruption, 9 out of 10 right -wing citizens (and center) see a lot of or quite a few, a slightly smaller figure among left -wing citizens.

In an academic article published in 2014 by Eva Anduiza, Aina Gallego and Jordi Muñoz, a similar tendency was already shown: the PP voters had more tolerance for their party corruption cases than the PSOE voters over socialist cases. In both cases, however, for corruption to be penalized, large cases of corruption, high doses of information, which reach the citizenry and a rather viable political alternative, are often required.

While this does not happen, much of the citizenry follows the so -called guided reasoning (motivated reasoning), that is, to consider as an element that deserves electoral punishment cases of foreign corruption and not their own. Always? There is logically exceptions, such as what Catalan politics shows us. Thus, when there have been political changes in the Generalitat, the tendency between those who do not govern more corruption usually climb only among some voters. For example, about 65% of JxCat voters saw a lot of corruption in the Generalitat before leaving the Government, a figure that has grown to more than 80% after Illa took over the Catalan executive. The great exception is found among the PSC voters, who perceive high levels of corruption governing anyone who rules, even if he governs his party.

Do social media make us unhappy?

There has been a long time since the use and abuse of social networks have long been concerned. Experts talk about the negative impact they have on the mental health of users, especially young people, creating, for example, an increase in anxiety derived from the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) or raisin (“fear to not be there”). A recently published study of various researchers in the US paid thousands of users to turn off Facebook and Instagram during the six months before the American presidential election. The result? Between 3 and 5% of these users increased their happiness levels; Anxiety and depression levels were also reduced. The impact was greater among people over 35 years old (in the case of Facebook) and among women less than 25 (in the case of Instagram).