Vote buying is widely denounced as corrupting democratic politics.

Hypothesis

The study argues that public attitudes toward vote buying depend on specific factors.

• Client socioeconomic status
• Potential client's political leanings

Methodology

Survey experiments conducted across Latin American countries.

• Presented hypothetical vote buying scenarios to respondents
• Varying the characteristics of both the buyer and seller

Key Findings

Evaluations of vote buying are highly conditional on specific factors.

• Socioeconomic status significantly impacts acceptance levels
• Political predispositions moderate disapproval reactions
• People often weigh concrete benefits against abstract democratic costs

Implications

This nuanced understanding challenges simplistic views of vote buying.

• Normative assessments depend on contextual factors rather than being universally repudiated
• Economic realities may shape public acceptance in ways not anticipated by anti-corruption campaigns