Objective/context:

Political corruption is one of the main challenges for the quality and consolidation of democracy in Brazil, a recurring diagnosis after a sequence of political scandals. Based on this context, the article aims to study social perceptions about political corruption in the recent Brazilian context using the results of a web survey applied in 2017.

Methodology:

The study is anchored in two complementary analytical focuses. The first is the examination of how respondents evaluate political corruption practices in Brazil, in an attempt to seek similarities and/or convergences between the municipal, state and federal spheres and also between different powers. The second tries to capture how citizens perceive the actions by control bodies in terms of their commitment to fighting political corruption.

Conclusions:

The results show that almost all respondents (95.67%) perceive corruption as a common practice in Brazil. Factors such as income and education directly interfere with the perception of corrupt practices, i.e., the higher the income and education, the greater the opinion that political corruption is high. The Federal Police and the Public Prosecution Service are seen as the most efficient agencies in controlling and fighting corruption.

Originality:

This research stands out for the parallel between the two analytical focuses highlighted above, thus contributing to the understanding not only of social perceptions about political corruption but also about the role of control bodies.