Public accountability is a hallmark of modern democratic governance and the foundation of the popular performance management movement. Democracy is just an empty exercise if those in power cannot be held accountable in public for their acts and omissions, for their decisions, their policies, and their expenditures. This book offers a finely detailed and richly informed consideration of accountability in both government and the contemporary world of governance. Twenty-five leading experts cover varying aspects of the accountability movement, including multiple and competing accountabilities, measuring accountability, accountability and democratic legitimacy, and accountability and information technology, and apply them to governments, quasi-governments, non-government organizations, governance organizations, and voluntary organizations. Together they provide the most comprehensive consideration of accountability currently available, with a blend of theoretical, empirical, and applied approaches. --Publisher description

Dubnick, Melvin J., Frederickson, H. George, Mathews, David

M.E. Sharpe ; |b Eurospan [distributor

M. E. Sharpe Incorporated

Taylor & Francis Group

Sharpe Professional

East Gate Book

United States, United States of America

Armonk, N.Y., |A London, 2011

1, 2010

Foreword David Mathews vii Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Promises of Accountability Research Melvin J. Dubnick H. George Frederickson xiii Part I Complex Challenges 1 1 The Challenge of Multiple Accountability: Does Redundancy Lead to Overload? Thomas Schillemans Mark Bovens 3 2 The Tangled Web of Accountability in Contracting Networks: The Case of Welfare Reform Barbara S. Romzek 22 3 Accountability Challenges in Public Sector Contracting for Complex Products Trevor L. Brown Matthew Potoski David M. Van Slyke 42 4 Accountability for Global Governance Organizations Jonathan G.S. Koppell 55 Part II Obstacles to Accountability 79 5 Performance Blight and the Tyranny of Light? Accountability in Advanced Performance Measurement Regimes Christopher Pollitt 81 6 Does Performance Measurement Actually Improve Accountability? Beryl A. Radin 98 7 The Accountability Environment of U.S. Counties Bonnie J. Johnson John C. Pierce Nicholas P. Lovrich 111 Part III Assessing Accountability 127 8 Accountability Institutions and Information in the Policy-Making Process Paul L. Posner Robert Schwartz 129 9 Accountability and Information-Technology Enactment: A Cross-National Perspective Richard K. Ghere 146 Part IV Adapting to Accountability 165 10 Blame Avoidance and Accountability: Positive, Negative, or Neutral? Christopher Hood 167 11 The Challenges of Accountability for International Nongovernmental and Civil-Society Organizations Margaret P. Karns Timothy J. Shaffer Richard K. Ghere 180 12 Accountability in the Nonprofit Sector: Abandoning the One-Size-Fits-All Approach Kevin P. Kearns 197 Part V Strategies 211 13 Watching the Watchers Sally Wheeler 213 14 Accountability and Voluntary Programs Matthew Potoski Aseem Prakash 225 Part VI Rethinking Accountability 239 15 Accountability in Two Non-Western Contexts Sara R. Jordan 241 16 Accountability and a Theory of Representation Ciarán O'Kelly 255 17 Emergent Accountability and Structuration Theory: Implications Kaifeng Yang 269 18 Rethinking the Obsession: Accountability and the Financial Crisis Melvin J. Dubnick Justin O'Brien 282 Conclusion: Taking Stock and Moving Forward Melvin J. Dubnick H. George Frederickson 302 About the Editors and Contributors 304 Name Index 309 Subject Index 319

2024-08-23