What matters more, public integrity or private integrity? Perceptions about corruption in political candidates in Brazil and Mexico

Purpose: This article examines how different moral value systems shape electoral preferences and perceptions of corruption regarding political candidates in Brazil and Mexico. It distinguishes between personal moral values related to the private sphere and social moral values associated with the public and institutional sphere, seeking to identify which dimension carries greater weight in leadership evaluation. Method: A mixed-methods approach is employed. The quantitative stage relies on longitudinal data from the World Values Survey between 1981 and 2019, using factor analysis and the construction of a moral evaluation index. The qualitative stage consists of comparative focus groups conducted in both countries, structured according to the tripartite model of attitudes, encompassing cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. Findings: The findings show that Brazilians place greater emphasis on public integrity, displaying lower tolerance for corruption in political office even at the expense of perceived effectiveness. Mexicans, by contrast, adopt a more pragmatic stance, valuing both public and private morality and showing greater tolerance toward corruption when candidates are seen as competent. In both contexts, a gap emerges between declared moral values and actual electoral choices, largely mediated by emotional and situational factors. Originality and Value: The study advances the literature by demonstrating the fluid and context-dependent nature of moral attitudes and their implications for political accountability and democratic decision-making.