Trump is known for having used his promise to “drain the swamp” (an attack on the Washington establishment) to gain support. In the Czech Republic, current Prime Minister Andrej Babiš ran on an anti-corruption platform to propel his illiberal political party to power. Italy has seen a rise in illiberal, populist parties. Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right illiberal, used promises to end corruption to win the Brazilian presidency.

Autocrats Using Anti-Corruption Rhetoric to Rise to Power

Would-be autocrats have taken advantage of electorates disillusioned by persistent corruption, campaigning on anti-corruption rhetoric to boost their own popularity and win elections.

Wesleyan University

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Several decades after transitioning to democracy, many countries have continually struggled with rampant corruption that their governments have been unable to fix. The persistence of corruption has spurred many citizens in these democracies to support radical parties in the hopes of reforming their governments.

How Corruption Enables the Rise of Autocrats

Corruption is prevalent in many democracies, particularly in post-communist regimes like the Czech Republic. Other cases include Italy and Brazil.

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