Does the left punish corruption more than the right?

BarcelonaA new case of (alleged) corruption has been shaking the Spanish government and the survival of the current legislature for days. The issues of the Koldo case The cases affecting José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán, both former organizational secretaries of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and, therefore, men of utmost confidence of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, paint a (possible) picture that we regularly see in Spanish politics. Not surprisingly, in the eyes of the public, corruption is considered an endemic problem that affects a large part of the parliamentary spectrum. According to the ranking prepared by Transparency International Regarding the perception of corruption, Spain was ranked 46th out of 180 last year, just above Oman and below Cape Verde, Latvia and Costa Rica. Not only is the fight against corruption significantly improved, but evolution indicates that we are going backwards: Indicators show that since 2019, institutions are perceived as increasingly corrupt.

While current (and perhaps future) corruption cases make headlines, a question looms over political talk shows and even the chief electoral strategist: will they punish corruption and the voters? A question that is often associated with another: does the left punish corruption more than the right? Extensive research across diverse disciplines tells us that corruption does not always punish those responsible at the ballot box, for a variety of reasons, from the idea that "it pays off, but at least it gets things done" to the difficulty of identifying who was responsible. Also due to the media consumed, which can generate a distorted view of the case. However, one of the most powerful mechanisms is the old saying "no hunchback sees his hump, nor any cuckold his horns." Or, to put it more technically, partisan and ideological lenses lead to the disregard of one's own corruption cases ("they're just a few bad apples") and the evaluation of almost only those of one's rivals.

The right, more tolerant of corrupt practices (with exceptions)

Now, is this a global trend, or does it affect some ideological groups more than others? A popular stereotype held by some would suggest that the left, concerned primarily with moral issues, has a greater aversion to corruption and punishes it much more than the right. The latter bloc is more pragmatic and even accustomed to these practices.

The Anti-Fraud Office's barometers regularly include a series of questions about corrupt practices among citizens, such as keeping a €200 wallet despite knowing who owns it, calling a doctor friend to avoid the waiting list, or hiring a service without VAT, among others. If we look at the data, almost 9 out of 10 people on the left consider these practices unjustifiable or only slightly so. In contrast, among people on the right or far right, between 6 and 7 out of 10 people justify them. Curiously, when asked about institutional corruption, 9 out of 10 right-wing (and centrist) citizens see a lot or quite a lot of it, a slightly lower figure among left-wing citizens.

In an academic article published in 2014 by Eva Anduiza, Aina Gallego, and Jordi Muñoz, a similar trend was already shown: PP voters were more tolerant of corruption cases within their party than PSOE voters were of corruption cases within the Socialists. However, in both cases, for corruption to be penalized, large-scale corruption cases, high levels of information, information reaching the public, and a viable political alternative are usually necessary.

Until this happens, a large part of the public follows the so-called guided reasoning (motivated reasoning), that is, considering cases of corruption committed by others as an element deserving of electoral punishment, not one's own. Always? There are, logically, exceptions, as Catalan politics shows us. Thus, when there have been political changes in the Generalitat, the tendency among those not in power to see more corruption tends to increase only among some voters. For example, around 65% of JxCat voters saw a lot or quite a bit of corruption in the Generalitat before leaving the government, a figure that has risen to more than 80% after Isla took over the Catalan executive. The major exception is found among PSC voters, who perceive high levels of corruption regardless of who governs, even if their own party is in power.

Do social networks make us unhappy?

There has long been concern about the use and abuse of social media. Experts speak of the negative impact they have on the mental health of users, especially young people, creating, for example, an increase in anxiety related to social media. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) either PANSA ("Fear of not being there"). One study A recently published study by different researchers in the US paid thousands of users to deactivate Facebook and Instagram during the six months prior to the American presidential elections. The result? Between 3% and 5% of these users saw an increase in their happiness levels; anxiety and depression levels also decreased. The impact was greatest among people over 35 (in the case of Facebook) and among women under 25 (in the case of Instagram).