Is Government Setting a Good Example? Rule Breaking by Government in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

To what extent and in which manner do government bodies break laws and rules? What are the reasons for doing so and what are the consequences? Are public bodies less law and rule abiding than private organizations and corporations?This book discusses these issues based on research in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It pays attentions to rule and law breaking in areas such as environmental protection, fire safety and working conditions. It is concluded that government bodies break rules across the board and in all policy sectors. Government organisations regularly violate administrative law regulations and - to a lesser extent - commit criminal law violations. This is true for all levels of government and all policy areas. The reasons not only relate to deliberate intent but are also increasingly linked to the complexity of managing and delivering public functions. Thus, rule and law breaking warrants more attention in policy and regulation as well as in research in public administration, criminology, public ethics, law and political science. A state that ignores its own rules and laws cannot expect citizens to be willing to obey the laws, rules and policies of its political and administrative system. Governments that do not set a good example could seriously jeopardize their own credibility and integrity.Huberts, Leo is the author of 'Is Government Setting a Good Example? Rule Breaking by Government in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom', published 2006 under ISBN 9789054547402 and ISBN 9054547405.