Not biting the hand that feeds you:How perverted accountability affects the ethical leadership of Dutch mayors

Dutch mayors are in the curious position that, by law, they are required to act against any integrity violations by their fellow political executives and municipal councillors. At the same time, they are fully accountable to the local council and increasingly dependent on the political support of those they oversee for remaining in office and for their capacity to govern. Data collected from four focus groups and nine interviews indicate that this dependence has produced a precarious situation of ‘perverted accountability’ in which mayors, because they perceive social and career risks, are mor... Mehr ...