Ethics in the Shadow: Political Marketing’s Role in Shaping Electoral Trust

This study analyzes the relationships between ethical perceptions, perceived sincerity of politicians, and the influences of political marketing on electoral behavior in Romania. Relevant connections were identified using an online questionnaire, resulting in a complex model of the moral and communicational evaluation of political actors. The findings show that people with a high level of ethical evaluation tend to interpret politicians’ lack of sincerity as being caused by external influences, such as political consultants and communication experts. At the same time, ethically oriented respondents show increased trust in independent candidates and greater openness to the possibility that electoral promises are achievable, suggesting an orientation towards moral alternatives to the traditional political system. Additionally, individuals with a high degree of psychological resilience appear to be more skeptical about the sincerity of political discourse, indicating a cognitive defense mechanism through caution and distrust. The analysis also highlights slight demographic differences, especially by gender and age, as well as a remarkable intercorrelation between perceptions of the veracity of parties and politicians, suggesting the existence of a unitary construct underlying the perception of honesty in politics. These results provide valuable insights regarding the impact of political marketing strategies on the symbolic capital of sincerity and contribute to the shaping of ethical directions for electoral communication.