Introduction: accountability processes in modern day government

• Published in: International review of public administration 2014, 19(2), , pp.160-162
• Main Authors: Piotrowski, Suzanne J., Steccolini, Ileana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accountability; College professors; Communication; Government; International finance; Internet; Legitimacy; Performance management; Public administration; Public policy; Public private partnerships; Public services; Securities markets; Web 2.0; 행정학
• ISSN: 1229-4659; 2331-7795
• DOI: 10.1080/12294659.2014.912449

Over the last few years, governments have increasingly been asked to perform better while at the same time cutting back costs and being transparent on decisions, actions and results. Scandals, corruption and waste have fostered discontent among citizens, whose expectations have also become more and more sophisticated. These evolutions are posing new and significant challenges to public-sector entities, requiring the development of new forms and systems of accountability, but also a reflection on the processes by which the latter are institutionalized, the conditions under which they work and their impacts on individuals, organizations and the society at large. This symposium is aimed at developing a reflection on recent developments in governmental accountability and, more specifically, by looking at the effects of the Internet age on accountability, exploring the link between accountability and legitimacy in Netherlands public services, investigating the processes through which accountability systems in Public Private Partnerships are defined (Finnish case) and studying the links between accountability, information and learning (US case).