Public Perception of Corruption and Its Influence on Civic Trust among Youth

Abstract

Corruption is also one of the most widespread impediments to institutional legitimacy and democratic development in most societies. The perception of corruption among young people who form a significant percentage of the civic population has a major influence on the perception on the attitude toward the public institutions, political participation and future civic trust. The research questions to be addressed in this study include how youths perceive corruption, how life experiences affect their perceptions, and how the perceptions eventually impact on their level of trust in political, educational and administrative institutions. Available studies indicate that the young generation is very susceptible to indicators of institutional injustice and more inclined than the elders to withdraw themselves in civic affairs where they perceive that corruption is endemic or incurable (Mishler and Rose, 2001). Based on the theoretical approaches of both political psychology and the social capital theory, this paper summarizes the multifactorial relationship between perceived corruption, trust development, and civic withdrawal. The report shows that there is an urgent need to establish transparent governance, youth-led accountability institutions, and inclusive civic education to restore institutional legitimacy