Does the perception of government integrity differ across regions? A comparative study between several sub-Saharan and Asian countries

The study seeks to examine if the perception of government integrity differs or is similar across regions, mainly when some factors have been included in the assessment. The paper focuses on six sub-Saharan (Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Angola, and South Africa) and Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore) from 2016 to 2020. A nested pooled OLS regression model was employed. Government integrity was used as a predicted variable, whereas economic freedom and one government indicator (absence of violence) were independent variables. The obtained results yielded some differentiation for both regions. For instance, Sub-Saharan countries reacted positively to government spending, while the opposite reaction was detected in Asian countries. In terms of similarities, inflation has a negative impact on government integrity for both regions. In contrast, trade freedom and addressing unemployment by including it in the government’s agenda are seen as a proxy of good governance. The findings also show that labor freedom is only perceived negatively in sub-Saharan countries. On the other hand, FDI inflows show a positive effect for both regions, but it is only significant for sub-Saharan countries. Similarly, the absence of violence contributes positively to the degree of government integrity perception. This study is one of the first to conduct a comparative analysis between two regions in the context of determining factors that affect government integrity perceptions. Overall, the paper provides good insights for policymakers and official representatives to enhance the level of the state’s economic freedom.