The Attitude of Russians Towards Petty Corruption (The Case of Sverdlovsk Region)

The article presents results of a study of the population attitude in the Sverdlovsk region to everyday corruption. As a result of a representative questionnaire survey (N = 600), the ideas of the region’s population about the prevaling everyday corruption in Russia as a whole, as well as in the Sverdlovsk region and in a specific place of residence of the respondents were revealed. According to the majority of respondents, the level of corruption in the country, region and place of residence over the year either did not change or decreased: this is the opinion of 52,2%, 57,2%, 62,4% of Sverdlovsk residents, respectively. The direct experience of corruption situations in which respondents living in the Sverdlovsk region found themselves is analyzed. 5,9% of respondents reported having such experience. At the same time, it is noted that there is a problem of uncertainty in assessing real corruption experiences of Sverdlovsk residents, who cannot always clearly understand whether a corruption situation really occurred or not: only every fifth respondent confidently stated that such a situation existed. Most often, corruption situations were related to the activities of preschool institutions (18,5% of respondents stated this), social payments (14,8%), and housing and communal services (11,8%). Particular attention was paid to the problem of ordinary citizens readiness to participate in corrupt actions. Sverdlovsk residents’ attitudes to direct participants in corrupt transactions was also revealed. A majority of respondents (53,2%) condemned both parties of such transactions, while every tenth respondent refused to condemn those involved in everyday corruption.