Image for Political accountability

Political accountability

Part of the The Library of Contemporary Essays in Political Theory and Public Policy series
See all formats and editions

Political accountability forms a cornerstone of modern democracy: it directs the political system towards the public interest and allows the exercise of the principles of autonomy and self-determination that lie at the core of democratic politics.

Sadly, existing democracies, with their large, centralized bureaucracies, have evolved in ways that progressively undermine the ability of citizens to keep their representatives accountable and political regimes responsive.

Far from reversing this trend, the neoliberal reforms introduced since the 1980s have increased that accountability gap.

Globalization and the alleged passage from 'government' to 'governance' have aggravated the problem further.

The notion of accountability that survives these changes is a problematic form of auditing carried out by a constellation of quangos, autonomous agencies and NGOs whose own accountability is problematic.

This volume collects the main contributions to current debates on political accountability.

It explores the challenges traditional conventions of accountability face today at the domestic, trans- and international levels and indicates the distinctive solutions those challenges require.

Read More
Special order line: only available to educational & business accounts. Sign In
£275.00
Product Details
Ashgate
1351910434 / 9781351910439
eBook (Adobe Pdf)
352.35
02/03/2017
English
469 pages
Copy: 30%; print: 30%