The Czech party system has been hobbled by corruption scandals since democratization. In the early 2000s, corruption became apparent on both ends of the ideological spectrum, with multiple governments collapsing due to corruption scandals. Czechs became increasingly disillusioned with their party system—in 2012, over 80% of Czechs agreed with the statement that political parties are corrupt.

Corruption in Czechia

A series of corruption scandals rocked the Italian party system in the 1990s, leading to a collapse in support for traditional parties as a disillusioned electorate opted for alternatives.

Corruption in Italy

Starting in 2014, the Lava Jato (car wash) scandal exposed many high-standing government officials as having committed acts of corruption, culminating in the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in 2016. Voters lost faith in the Workers’ Party, one of the dominant parties of Brazilian politics.

Corruption in Brazil

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

Wesleyan University

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

The Prevalence of Corruption in Democracies

Would-be autocrats have taken advantage of disillusioned electorates, using anti-corruption rhetoric to become more popular and win elections.

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