The Impact of Intolerant Attitudes on Perceptions of Corruption and Corrupt Behavior in Former Communist Countries in Central and Eastern Europe

ABSTRACT Objective Based on the premise that intolerance stems from biased knowledge and values that isolate marginalized groups from “us, the majority,” this research examines how intolerant attitudes towards various minorities impact perceptions of corruption and engagement in corrupt behavior. Methods The article uses data from the Life in Transition Survey III (LiTS III), which includes 31,636 respondents from 21 former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Binary logistic regressions with average marginal effects are employed to analyze these data. Results and conclusion The findings highlight that intolerant attitudes toward particular minority groups are associated with greater involvement in corrupt practices and heightened perceptions of corruption. However, perceptions of corruption are more strongly influenced by intolerance than corrupt behavior. This research suggests that properly addressing intolerance could mitigate both perceptions and engagement with corruption.