Cover Page The handle

Cover Page

The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/20405 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation.

Author: Kerkhoff, Toon

Title: Hidden morals, explicit scandals : public values and political corruption in the Netherlands (1748-1813)

Date: 2013-01-16

Hidden Morals, Explicit Scandals

Public Values and Political Corruption in the Netherlands

(1748-1813)

Hidden Morals, Explicit Scandals

Public Values and Political Corruption in the Netherlands (1748-1813)

PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van

de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden,

op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. mr. P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties

te verdedigen op woensdag 16 januari 2013 klokke 15.00 uur

door

Antoon Dirk Nicolaas Kerkhoff

geboren te Rotterdam in 1978

Promotiecommissie

Promotor:

Prof. dr. M.R. Rutgers (Universiteit van Amsterdam)

Overige leden:

Prof. dr. J. van Eijnatten (Universiteit Utrecht) Prof. dr. F.M. van der Meer (Universiteit Leiden)

Prof. dr. E.C. Page (London School of Economics and Political Science) Prof. dr. J.C.N. Raadschelders (Universiteit Leiden / University of Ohio)

The research for this dissertation was made possible by a financial grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

For my parents

ISBN/EAN: 978-90-6464-614-0

Printing: GVO drukkers & vormgevers B.V. | Ponsen & Looijen Cover design: Toshkov, Van der Helm, Winters & Kerkhoff

Cover illustration: De onomkoopbaarheid van consul Marcus Curius Dentanus. Govaert Flinck, 1656 [The Incorruptibility of Consul Marcus Curius Dentanus by Govaert Flick]. Photographer: Tom Haartsen © Stichting Koninklijk Paleis te Amsterdam.

© 2012 Toon Kerkhoff. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani- cal, photocopying, recording, by print, or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the proprietors.

© 2012 Toon Kerkhoff. Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt, in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieën, opnamen, of op enige andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de rechthebbende.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Quagmire of Public Morality 9

Part I | Public Values, Political Corruption and Administrative History

1 Public Values and Political Corruption 17

1.1 Introduction 17

1.2 Public values: dynamics, classifications and ‘publicness’ 17 1.3 Concepts, theories and definitions of political corruption 22

1.4 Existing work, voids and opportunities 31

2 Administrative History and Public Value Dynamics 37

2.1 Introduction 37

2.2 History and public value dynamics 37

2.3 A combined approach 38

2.4 Ideal type and bureaucratization 41

2.5 Historical institutionalism 44

3 Research Design 47

3.1 Introduction 47

3.2 A framework for analysis 47

3.3 Sources of public values 50

3.4 Case study design: selection and parameters 58

3.5 Explanation and causality 62

3.6 Limitations and solutions 64

Part II | History, Culture and Morality of the Time

4 Political History and Political Culture (1748 – 1813) 69

4.1 Introduction 69

4.2 Administrative levels 69

4.3 Groups and actors 72

4.4 Political history 75

4.5 Political culture 83

5 Best-Opinion and Morality of the Time (1748 – 1813) 91

5.1 Introduction 91

5.2 Best-opinion and Dutch (moral) reform movements 92

5.3 Doelists 93

5.4 Patriots 98

5.5 Batavians 107

Part III | Political Corruption Scandals

6 Taxes, Political Corruption and Moral Reform (1748 – 1756) 117

6.1 Introduction 117

6.2 Taxes, political corruption and reform 117

6.3 Bureaucratization and changing public values 123

6.4 Cases of political corruption 132

6.5 Analysis and concluding remarks 139

7 Princely Patronage and Patriot Cause (1770s – 1780s) 147

7.1 Introduction 147

7.2 Emerging politics, clashing value systems and public value change 148 7.3 The Stadholders’ patronage as a catalyst for moral reform 149

7.4 Cases of political corruption 151

7.5 Analysis and concluding remarks 171

8 Gin, Cloth, Meat: Political Corruption in the Batavian Republic (1798) 177

8.1 Introduction 177

8.2 State formation, democratization and public value change 178

8.3 Cases of political corruption 179

8.4 Analysis and concluding remarks 202

9 Conclusions 209

9.1 Introduction 209

9.2 General conclusions 210

9.3 Explaining political corruption and public value change 218

References 225

Samenvatting 249

Acknowledgements 261

Curriculum Vitae 263

Appendix: Original Texts and Citations 267