How war changes views on corruption: Evidence from Ukraine

War generates a well-researched rally-round-the-flag effect, including manifestations such as support for the wartime leader and increased patriotism. Focusing on the present situation in Ukraine, we will examine the impact of war and associated expectations about future economic reconstruction in a specific field of public opinion research, namely attitudes about corruption. Using a survey experiment, we will study the drivers of citizens’ views about corrupt practices at elite and local level. Our approach distinguishes between value-based explanations, where increased nationalism and a sense of joint sacrifice reduces public tolerance for corruption, and an instrumental explanation, where people see that condoning corruption could jeopardize future external support and/or prospects of accession into international organizations like the EU. The experiment will be embedded in an original survey of 1,500 respondents, fielded in the government-controlled parts of Ukraine in April 2023, during the war. The findings will be of relevance for the emerging debate about national and international reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, the country’s EU accession negotiations, as well as for the wider literature on the manifestations and determinants of public attitudes about corruption.