VU Research Portal Between error and evil Berndsen, S.M. 2015 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Berndsen, S. M. (2015). Between error and evil: The Dynamics of Deadly Governmental Accidents. Ipskamp Drukkers B.V. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 02. Oct. 2021 Uitnodiging Between Hierbij nodig ik u graag uit voor de openbare verdediging van mijn proefschrift Between Error and Evil Error and Evil Between op maandag 8 juni om 15.45 stipt in de aula van het Hoofdgebouw van de Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 te Amsterdam. Error Aansluitend vindt er een receptie plaats in The Basket (op het terrein van de VU). and Evil Stephan Berndsen Stephan Berndsen [email protected] Paranimfen: Niels Berndsen The Dynamics of Deadly Governmental Accidents [email protected] Ewout Stolwijk [email protected] Stephan Berndsen ISBN: 978-94-6259-668-9 BETWEEN ERROR AND EVIL The Dynamics of Deadly Governmental Accidents 207878-L-bw-Berndsen Reading committee: prof.dr. G.B. Adams (University of Missouri) prof.dr. M.J.G. van Eeten (TU Delft University) prof.dr. J.H.J. van den Heuvel (VU University Amsterdam) prof.dr. W. Huisman (VU University Amsterdam) prof.dr. F.L. Leeuw (University of Maastricht) © Stephan Berndsen, 2015 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, mechanical, photocopy, recording, by print, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the rightful owner: Stephan Berndsen. Image on the cover: M.C. Escher’s “Eye” © 2015 The M.C. Escher Company – Baarn – The Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com Printed by: Ipskamp Drukkers B.V. ISBN: 978-94-6259-668-9 207878-L-bw-Berndsen VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BETWEEN ERROR AND EVIL The Dynamics of Deadly Governmental Accidents ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. F.A. van der Duyn Schouten in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen op maandag 8 juni om 15.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Stephan Martinus Berndsen geboren te Hoorn 207878-L-bw-Berndsen promotoren: prof.dr. L.W.J.C. Huberts prof.dr. G. de Graaf 207878-L-bw-Berndsen Preface and Acknowledgements ‘The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.’ Oscar Wilde ‘The art of living is to be at home as if one were on a journey.’ Godfried Bomans This book represents a journey in many different ways. For you as a reader, I hope the book will bring you more insight into what happens when governments play a part in the serious injuries and deaths of human beings. I hope to act as your guide on this journey, but I must stress that your guide is just as fallible as those governmental organizations he describes. All errors in this book are mine and mine only. All I can do is assure you that your guide has invariably aimed at finding out the truth, even when that truth is not pure, is not simple and possesses several faces behind the mask that it wears. Although you might not agree with me on every aspect of my analysis, I hope to explain clearly why I chose this path, how analyses have been made and how I have arrived at the conclusions. All this is done in the firm belief that having an open mind and learning from the past is crucial for government in the current age. A strong government wants to learn from its errors and is mindful of its potential for evil, of which it might not be aware itself at all times. For me, this is the end of a great journey, frustrating and self-confronting at times but ultimately rewarding and wonderful to make. I am delighted that I have reached the desired destination. One of the things I have come to realize more and more is how deep the conviction should be that man in pure essence has always been, and will always be, a social being. Not a selfish egoist who is bound to be evil, but very human in all his beauty and defects. This is also the place to express my gratitude to the wonderful people who have helped me or have been my guide on this journey. First of all I would like to thank Leo Huberts, my promoter, for his wisdom, kindness and help all along and for believing that I could complete the journey successfully. The same goes for Gjalt de Graaf, my other promoter, who invariably came up with helpful suggestions as well as moral support. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the reading committee (Guy Adams, Michel van Eeten, Hans van den Heuvel, Wim Huisman and Frans Leeuw) for their involvement and their wise and helpful comments, which have led to further reflection and improvements in the final stages of this dissertation. Colleagues in the Quality of Governance research group at the VU University Amsterdam provided helpful advice and comments both at the start and at the end of this research project, and this helped me to focus on the right track. I would also like to thank my fellow members of the Dynamo reading club at the VU, for inspiration, great debates and good laughs. 207878-L-bw-Berndsen A special thank you goes out to all the respondents both inside and outside governmental organizations who were willing to be interviewed about what were often sensitive issues. Many thanks to all of you for your cooperation and openness. My interest in public administration is not just scientific: I earn my daily bread in government and do so with pride and conviction. The support I received from my employer, the Ministry of Security and Justice, has been indispensable. I have stressed to all involved that the dissertation expresses my views as a social scientist. I greatly appreciate the opportunities granted to me. Special thanks go out to Cor Hermans, Jan Willem Schaper and Marjolein Voslamber for their support. I would also like to thank many colleagues for inspiring conversations about this dissertation. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues at the Project, Programme and Advice Centre for their support and patience. This journey has brought me to many different places along the way. Being fed, and finding shelter and support with people you love is a great way to make it through and make real progress in finishing the book. Many thanks to my family for putting up with me for longer periods of time when I was not very sociable at all, but working for the greater good (so I hope) of government and science. Saar and George, Jan and Joyce, Hans and Tini: Love is all. My twin brother Niels and I share many passions and sources of inspiration: He and I once walked into a giant bookstore, went our separate ways and out of 50.000 possibilities both came back with exactly the same book. It was a collection of quotes called ‘The dark side’. It’s probably a genetic thing. Above all, home is where my heart is. Three girls make me a happy and proud man, even if grey hair and ‘eigenwijsheid’ count against me. Emma, Lotte and Bo: If you put your mind to it, you can do it. To conclude: The end of this journey is nothing but the start of many other beautiful journeys. Even in the face of all that error or all that evil, life is best lived with passionate love. On all journeys, whatever obstacles may be ahead, I have been blessed with a life loving wife, who has always been my best choice: Joyce. Stephan Berndsen Haarlem, February 15, 2015 207878-L-bw-Berndsen Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Deaths or serious injuries connected to government 1 1.2. Thinking about the role of government in society 2 1.3. A different path: unmasking administrative evil 3 1.4. What happens when things go wrong 4 1.5. Death and government: the numbers 6 1.6. What comes next 9 2 KEY CONCEPTS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE AND THEIR ASSOCIATED BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE 11 2.1. Introduction 11 2.2. Error management 11 2.2.1. Error: a definition 11 2.2.2. Error management: a definition 12 2.2.3. Explanatory factors 13 2.2.4. Reactions and responses 14 2.2.5. Content of this dissertation in relation to the subject 15 2.3. Rule breaking by governments 16 2.3.1. Introduction: rule breaking by governments 16 2.3.2.