Questioning Public Sector Accountability

Bryane Michael, U. of Oxford

Abstract

The rise of accountability seems to unambiguously promote more responsible, effective and participatory public sector action. However, the benefits of accountability are less ambiguous than they appear. Activities aimed at increasing accountability generally proliferate as they gain importance – making monitoring an end in itself at both the national and international levels. While there are economic and institutional explanations for the rise of accountability, these fail to explain the political nature of the rise of accountability. Such politics may include negotiations over power, organisational boundaries, image, social value or moral values. If such negotiations imply that some of the value of accountability is socially constructed, then activities aimed at promoting accountability must be undertaken with circumspection.