The Social Foundations of Corruption in Serbia: Understanding the Nexus between Economic Characteristics, Attitudes, and Party Support

Abstract: Corruption, commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, has profound implications for governance and political stability (Rose-Ackermann 1999). Serbia, with a documented decline in democratic standards over the past decade, provides a critical context for examining how perceptions of corruption and clientelism shape support for illiberal political parties. Drawing on data from an original survey conducted in May 2024, this paper investigates the nexus between attitudes toward corrupt practices and the public’s suppot for illiberal political parties. Regression models and principal component analysis (PCA) reveal that a significant portion of the population perceives political connections as essential for securing stable employment, underscoring the perceived entanglement of political office with personal advantage. The data indicate that culturally conservative individuals report lower perceptions of corruption, possibly viewing hierarchical systems as less problematic. In contrast, the lower middle class perceives corruption more acutely, especially regarding employment opportunities tied to political connections and pressure from the ruling party. Additionally, those most disillusioned with democracy report high awareness of clientelistic and corrupt practices, revealing a landscape where corrupt practices and de-democratisation reinforce each other. This study on Serbia thus provides a nuanced understanding of how corruption and clientelism sustain illiberal politics, contributing to broader discussions on the challenges of governance, and political stability in the region.