Communitarianism as a Mediating Factor in Reducing Corruption: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis Based on John Rawls’ Theory of Justice

This study aims to develop a new theoretical approach to understanding corruption through the lens of John Rawls’ theory of justice and the concept of communitarianism. The study posits a hypothesis that the implementation of the difference principle, articulated by Rawls, may facilitate the development of communitarian values capable of exerting a significant influence on the reduction of corruption in society. The proposed theoretical model is empirically tested using cross-national regression analysis based on data from the World Values Survey, the World Inequality Database, and Transparency International. The analysis confirms the mediating effect of com-munitarian values – namely, interpersonal trust, respect for diversity, and political engagement – on the level of corruption. Specifically, higher levels of social trust, mutual understanding, and active civic participation are asso-ciated with a decline in corrupt practices. The findings demonstrate a high explanatory power of the model and can be applied in the development of effective anti-corruption strategies.