Story perspectives

Coal Companies' Legacy Fuels Low Trust, High Corruption

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Coal companies avoided incorporation, bought votes, funded police and used company stores as courts, creating control that still shapes governance and fuels distrust.
Scholars say former mining areas of Appalachia and the Midwest show lower trust and higher corruption.
1960s schoolchildren surveys recorded cynicism up to 26 % in coal regions, versus a 5 % national average.
Since 2000, coal counties have faced more official prosecutions than elsewhere, reflecting lingering corrupt practices.

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Story summary

Coal companies avoided incorporation, bought votes, funded police and used company stores as courts, creating control that still shapes governance and fuels distrust.
Scholars say former mining areas of Appalachia and the Midwest show lower trust and higher corruption.
1960s schoolchildren surveys recorded cynicism up to 26 % in coal regions, versus a 5 % national average.
Since 2000, coal counties have faced more official prosecutions than elsewhere, reflecting lingering corrupt practices.