Extortion and abuse of power in the Dutch Republic: The case of Bailiff Lodewijk van Alteren

Administrative systems sometimes need to answer to two normative frameworks, which are mutually incommensurable. Historians give accounts of what happened when one set of values was replaced with another, usually during blatant scandals. What went on in everyday life, when people simply worked with their conflicting systems, is much less obvious. In the case study below, we try to answer that question by looking at a case of "normal" corruption. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.