The Emotional Backlash of Public Accountability

The prospect of being held accountable is salient for public employees in general, especially for police officers. Aside from extensively studied rational and behavioral effects, accountability also triggers emotional effects. This study explores police officers’ emotional reaction to the prospect of accountability. The article reports on an analysis of 98 hours of observations and 12 qualitative interviews with police officers in various locations in the Netherlands, Michigan, and the Washington-Baltimore Metro area. The analysis reveals that professional accountability to peers is associated with relief. Political accountability to the mayor triggers pride. Bureaucratic accountability to systems leads to frustration, but also acceptance. Social accountability can lead to pride, but also resentment and anger. Legal accountability can trigger anxiety and distress. Based on cognitive appraisal theory, the study finds that relevance for police work, expectedness, power over the situation, and fairness are crucial appraisal criteria influencing the emotional response to accountability mechanisms. The conclusions provide practical points of departure to influence the emotional response to the prospect of accountability, which is particularly salient for police officers given their high-stakes decision-making and public scrutiny.