Publication

This paper explains heterogeneity in voters' attitudes toward political corruption in developing democracies as a function of their insider/outsider status in society. The authors posit that a beneficiary of patronage is more likely to tolerate corruption, as are partisan and ethnic insiders. They highlight the conceptual difference between corruption perceptions and tolerance, articulate the concept of insider/outsider status and review studies of clientelism and identity politics. The authors demonstrate that under certain circumstances, voters can be apathetic to corruption.