Lustration systems and trust : evidence from survey experiments in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
The American Journal of Sociology
Publication Date
1-1-2012
Volume
117
Issue
4
First Page
1172
Last Page
1201
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Abstract
Dealing with personnel inherited from prior regimes in the administration of transitional states is critical for democratic consolidation, a problem traditionally addressed by the dichotomy of continuation or dismissal. However, major organizational innovations to deal with tainted officials appear in postcommunist Central Europe. Using the concept of lustration systems, this study differentiates three archetypes: dismissal, exposure, and confession. The authors propose that each system carries different symbolic meanings, which produce different outcomes for citizens’ trust in government and in tainted officials. The hypothesized effects of different lustration systems on trust are tested by an experiment embedded in nationwide representative surveys conducted in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The results show that dismissal and confession increase citizens’ trust in government and trust in tainted officials. However, exposure reduces citizens’ trust in tainted officials.
DOI
10.1086/662648
Print ISSN
00029602
E-ISSN
15375390
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2012 The University of Chicago
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Choi, S. Y. P., & Roman David. (2012). Lustration systems and trust: Evidence from survey experiments in the Czech republic, Hungary, and Poland. The American Journal of Sociology, 117(4), 1172-1201. doi: 10.1086/662648