ATTITUDES TOWARD ACCEPTING A BRIBE: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE USA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60154/jaepp.2013.v14n4p907Keywords:
bribery, ethics, rent seeking, demographic variables, gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, religion, religiosity, education level, employment status, occupation, social class, income level, size of town, health, happiness, confidence in the police, confidence in the justice system, confidence in government, left-right political spectrum, United States, USAAbstract
This study examined the changing attitudes in the United States on the ethics of accepting a bribe. The study used data gathered as part of the Human Values surveys for 1981 and 2006 in the United States. The study found that opposition to bribery declined over time. Several demographic variables were also examined. Men and women were equally opposed to bribery in 1982, but by 2006, men became significantly less averse to bribery. People tend to become more opposed to bribery as they get older. Married individuals were less opposed to bribery than were other groups. Those who work part-time were more opposed to bribery than were other groups. In 2006, full-time employees were least opposed to bribery. Happiness was a significant variable, but the relationship between happiness and the extent of opposition to bribery was not linear. In 1982, those in poor health were most opposed to bribery; by 2006, they were the least opposed. Protestants were somewhat more opposed to bribery than Catholics.
