Saving ‘the Savior’: The Mediating Role of Illegitimacy on the Relationship between Two Modes of Patriotism and Anti-Corruption Collective Protest Among Law Students

Abstract

This study aimed to explain the collective protest against the decision of the Corruption Eradication Commission in Indonesia to dismiss some of its employees due to their failure on the Civic Knowledge Test. A correlational survey in this research (N = 720) revealed that the perceived illegitimacy of the decision served as the strongest positive predictor of the collective protest. Other findings demonstrated that constructive patriotism positively, but blind patriotism negatively, explained support for the collective protest. We also found that blind patriotism was positively related to blaming the fired employees, but constructive patriotism was positively related to protecting the fired employees. In turn, the perceived illegitimacy of the decision and victim blaming significantly mediated the negative path from blind patriotism to participants’ support for the collective protest. The perceived illegitimacy of the decision and victim protection significantly mediated the positive path from constructive patriotism to participants’ support for the collective protest. These observations overall suggest the importance of public trust and modes of attachment to a nation as conduits for anti-corruption movements.