Why Vast Natural Wealth Leads to Mass Poverty

Furthermore, the pervasive sense of impunity and the lack of an independent judiciary capable of prosecuting high-level corruption breeds public cynicism and hopelessness. When ordinary citizens observe officials and their relatives escaping accountability for massive financial crimes, it solidifies the perception that the system is rigged. This lack of justice discourages legal entrepreneurial activity, drives business into the shadow economy, and further convinces the public that their suffering is not merely a consequence of external sanctions but a direct result of internal elite greed.