Understanding the ethical behavior of economic elites is critical in an era where high-income individuals wield growing influence over legal and political systems. Drawing on incentivized behavioral data from over 65,000 nationally representative respondents across 70 countries, this study examines the relationship between income and intrinsic honesty around the world. Participants take part in the “Mind Game,” which enables them to lie for money without risk of being detected, while allowing researchers to measure dishonesty at the group level. We uncover substantial cross-country variation: in some countries, income positively correlates with greater honesty, whereas in others with greater dishonesty. The variation in relative dishonesty is associated with institutional quality in general, and the relative treatment of high-income individuals by the judicial system in specific. Paradoxically, as institutional quality improves, high-income individuals become more dishonest relative to lower-income individuals. Our findings highlight the role of institutions in shaping elite morality.
COLLABORATION
Analyses, survey insights and a practical guide mark a key milestone in the Erasmus+ project supporting data-driven vocational training across five European countries.
