Democratic Citizenship and the Hypocrisy of Leaders

Are democratic citizens misguided in concerning themselves with the personal hypocrisy of their political leaders? I here suggest that they are not. I begin by considering what I term the ordinary language definition of hypocrisy-"failing to practice what one preaches"-and applying it to contemporary cases. I next respond to oft-articulated arguments to the effect that popular concern with leader hypocrisy is petty, perfectionist, and even dangerous. I instead suggest (a) that popular allegations of hypocrisy stimulate democratic discourse about "weighty" political matters, (b) that these allegations undermine rather than promote the politics of perfectionism and (c) that "mudslinging" on the part of the ruled is a mostly welcome response to "hands-dirtying" on the part of political rulers. Polity (2009) 41, 113-133. doi:10.1057/pol.2008.24; published online 10 November 2008