Why Politicians Misbehave: A Systematic Review of How Attributes of Political Office Affect Moral Decision‐Making and Behavior

Original

Why Politicians Misbehave: A Systematic Review of How Attributes of Political Office Affect Moral Decision‐Making and Behavior

Manon Koopman, Koen Migchelbrink, Leonie Heres

Abstract

ABSTRACT The moral decision‐making and behavior of politicians is influenced by the distinctive and characteristic attributes of political office. This literature review analyzes 80 articles from public administration, political science and related disciplines to systematically map these attributes and their underlying mechanisms. This study identifies six categories of attributes of political office that relate to moral decision‐making and behavior: political system design, political role, relations to societal actors, legal and regulatory measures, political cycle, and some general attributes such as the size of the political institution. Interestingly, existing research focuses mostly on unethical behavior, creating white spots in our understanding of how the attributes of political office shape individual and collective processes of moral decision‐making and behavior more generally. We conclude with an agenda for future research that advocates for more targeted research of the sociopsychological aspects that shape the moral decision‐making and behavior of politicians across their different roles.