Classical Corruption: Hugo van Arckel , Dike Warden of the Krimpenerwaard, and the Corruption of His Time

Abstract

Burgomaster Hugo van Arckel had saved Schoonhoven. When this small Holland town had become part of the Dutch Republic’s battle front during the 1672-1678 war against France, it was he who had almost single-handedly prevented it from giving itself up. Unsurprisingly, Stadtholder Prince William III of Orange, supreme commander of the Army and Navy and the Republic’s most influential public official at that moment, rewarded Van Arckel handsomely by bestowing several important offices on him. Four years later the one-time hero was tried and sentenced for corruption. What had happened in the meantime? Most contributions to this special issue of Public Voices apply a neo-classical perspective to corruption: Corruption scandals are studied to shed light on underlying value conflicts. The authors try to find out how corruption is constructed, at a certain moment, and why. Yet, there are far more theory clusters dealing with corruption. We will first take a look at these theory clusters, next analyze Van Arckel’s downfall, and then see which cluster is most suitable.