Social trust and cohesion, a unified set of values that every member of society agrees with. > How come that many western states fare better than other countri

Social trust and cohesion, a unified set of values that every member of society agrees with. > How come that many western states fare better than other countries Because Western societies are by and large the product of 19th-century nationalism. The ideal has always been: one nation, one people, one language, one state. If you steal from the public, you are also stealing from members of your own 'group'. If you don't view other members of your country to be part if your own social group, then of course it's much easier to be corrupt. You can see this happening in India in particular -- everything is drawn along lines of religion, ethnicity, and caste. The same thing is happening to the US.