How anti-corruption actions win hearts: The evaluation of anti-corruption performance, social inequality and political trust—Evidence from the Asian Barometer Survey and the Latino Barometer Survey

Abstract

Corruption is seen as a political cancer that erodes the public’s trust in political system. While it is generally agreed that corruption and political trust are negatively correlated, few researchers have explored the impact of anti-corruption performance on political trust. In this article, we focus on whether combating corruption can enhance political trust and how this influencing mechanism is realized. Based on analyses of the Asian Barometer Survey and the Latino Barometer Survey, we found that political trust is affected by the evaluation of anti-corruption performance and social inequality. The evaluation of anti-corruption performance can enhance political trust directly, while social inequality undermines political trust directly. Social inequality can also moderate the positive effect of the evaluation of anti-corruption performance on political trust. This study not only fills the previous research gap in the relationship between anti-corruption and political trust but also has great practical significance.