Distance to news: how social media information affects bribe-giving in India

Abstract While recent empirical evidence reveals some effective interventions in preventing corruption among bureaucrats and politicians, there has been little discussion on how to prevent the bribe-giving behavior of ordinary citizens. This paper investigates role social media information influencing supply bribes by citizens instead demand side. We, therefore, developed published an original news application India implemented a 3-month experiment. In this application, we randomly circulate live related users incorporate lab experiment into app system elicit users’ bribery every week. We find that involving politicians within close geographical proximity lowers moral costs against anti-social act, leading increase amount bribes. However, accused officials geographic increases their cost decreases amount. suggests individually tailored local may be tool reduce citizens’