At some point, we have all done something “good” to balance out something less favorable—like running a mile to justify eating a donut. It’s psychological justification—using positive actions to manipulate the perception of less favorable ones, now or in the future.

Public officials frequently use psychological justification to defend questionable choices, preserve power and rationalize administrative shortfalls. But when it comes to our public officials, a scoreboard of positive actions cannot serve as political currency to excuse poor decisions or questionable behavior. Good governance requires that every council action and administrative choice be analyzed solely on its own merits.