Keywords

corruption, sexism, democracy, gender, gender and politics, attitude, impact of democracy, gender equality

Abstract

Previous studies have found a correlation between gender inequality and corruption, but much debate still exists about the cause of this correlation. A common theory is that any country with little corruption and low gender inequality is a democracy and that the relationship is a spurious one that comes from the nature of democracies. Others contest that this is a reflection of women having a higher moral standard. This study measures the correlation between sexist attitudes and corruption. Measuring the attitude toward gender inequality rather than institutions, laws, or the behavior of individuals helps us better understand the culture and attitude of the people themselves. To further study the role democracy plays in this correlation, this study measures the correlation in democracies, partial democracies, and non-democracies. This study finds that overall, the three are highly correlated, suggesting that as a country becomes more democratic that transparency and gender equality increase.