Generous welfare programs can actually make the public more okay with the government being corrupt.
April 2, 2026
Original Paper
Mapping Political Corruption in West Bengal: Thematic Analysis of a Decade, 2010-2020
SSRN · 6483339
The Takeaway
While we usually assume that providing for citizens' needs reduces the 'need' for corruption, this study in West Bengal found the opposite. When the state provides strong populist benefits, citizens began to view bribery not as a crime, but as a 'necessary transaction fee' to ensure they kept receiving their government services.
From the abstract
<p><span>This study points out a thematic analysis of political corruption in West Bengal from 2010 to 2020, a decade of scandals and scams from the 34-year Left Front (CPI-M) regime to the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration. This research maps the evolution of corruption from an institutionalised, party-centric model to a more personalised, transactional, and populist form. Based on a qualitative research method and through analysis of major scandals, including the Saradha and Ro