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Can you Afford Honesty?

A Comparative Analysis of Ethos and Ethics in Local Government

University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

This article discusses the honesty of local politicians and public administrators in 17 countries. First, it goes into deontological, consequential, virtue, and dialogic ethics. Based on a large-scale survey, this article concludes that the ethos (general principle) of honesty is a universal value, which conforms to deontological principles. Regarding ethics (the application of the principle in practice), however, important differences between these local elites are seen. The explanation for these differences is sought at the individual and organizational level. It is argued that organizational factors explain most of the variance. Especially the opinions of colleagues are important. Also, the existence of conflicts and social problems within the community determine whether one is (able to be) honest. This implies that honesty can be seen empirically as a social-cultural phenomenon that varies with the internal and external pressures exerted on the local politicians and administrators.

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