Autonomy and accountability : strategic behaviour of German state leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic
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This study examines the strategic and opportunistic behaviour of state officials in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on 600 statements by state incumbents, we provide a comprehensive empirical analysis of state-level political behaviour. Our findings show that German regional leaders emphasised their autonomy when performance metrics were favourable (credit-claiming), but strategically shifted responsibility when outcomes were less favourable (blame-avoidance). This pattern was especially pronounced when public attention was high.
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Public choice, 2025, Springer Science+Business Media LLC, New York, NY, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-025-01357-3