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The Illusion of Accountability: Transparency and Representation in American Legislatures

Autor Justin H. Kirkland, Jeffrey J. Harden
en Limba Engleză Hardback – 24 aug 2022
"The Illusion of Accountability: Transparency and Representation in American Legislatures Does open governance strengthen democracy? In The Illusion of Accountability, Justin H. Kirkland and Jeffrey J. Harden contend that it does not. Leveraging a wealth of data from decades of legislative politics in the American states, Kirkland and Harden assess the causes and consequences of "open meetings laws," which require public access to meetings and proceedings in state legislatures. They trace the roots of these laws back to the founding constitutions of some states and analyze the waves of adoptions and legislative exemptions to open meetings that occurred in the latter half of the twentieth century. They explain that these shifting positions on the reforms reflected the tension between legislators' ability to negotiate with one another in the pursuit of policymaking goals and their accountability to constituents as elected representatives. Kirkland and Harden then investigate the effects of these transparency laws on a host of politically consequential outcomes both inside and outside the legislature, such as policy productivity, responsiveness to public opinion, and citizen approval of the legislature. They consistently find that, contrary to what their theory of accountability would expect, open meetings do not influence legislators' behavior or citizens' capacity to alter that behavior. Instead, the authors uncover a link between transparent legislatures and an expanded system of organized interests. Ultimately, Kirkland and Harden conclude that transparency reform only creates the illusion of accountability in state government. It exists in principle with the stated goal of bringing citizens closer to their representatives. But the public does not sufficiently fulfill its democratic obligation to capitalize on this improved access, permitting unrepresentative interests to fill the void"--
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Specificații

ISBN-13: 9781009219631
ISBN-10: 1009219634
Pagini: 350
Dimensiuni: 157 x 235 x 24 mm
Greutate: 0.61 kg
Ediția:Nouă
Editura: Cambridge University Press
Colecția Cambridge University Press
Locul publicării:New York, United States

Cuprins

1. Sunshine in the Statehouse; Part I. Transparency and State Legislatures: 2. The Open Meetings Movement; 3. Measuring Legislative Transparency; 4. Compromise; 5. Representation; Part II. Transparency and the Mass Public: 6. Public Demand for Open Meetings; 7. Attitudinal Consequences of Open Meetings; 8. The Electoral Connection; 9. Does Democracy Require Transparency; References; Index.

Recenzii

'Does governing in sunshine improve democratic governance? In this authoritative and compelling book, Kirkland and Harden probe the origins and consequences of transparency in U.S. state legislatures. The Illusion of Accountability reveals the dark side of governing in the light: Organizing interests, not American voters, benefit from our commitments to legislative sunshine. A must-read for students, scholars, and reformers alike.' Sarah A. Binder, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University
'Transparency laws are so widespread and accepted in American governments that we rarely bother to actually assess their consequences. With impressive clarity and decisiveness, Harden and Kirkland find that these laws are actually making things worse, enabling organized interests to exert greater control over legislatures. This vital text demonstrates the difference between good government and the perception of good government.' Seth E. Masket, Professor of Political Science, University of Denver
'This book is a must-read for scholars of state politics, legislative politics, and those who seek data-driven, scholarship-informed perspectives on the causes and consequences of efforts to enhance transparency in lawmaking processes. Those who seek to reform American institutions of democracy will have to wrestle with these important findings.' Alan E. Wiseman, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Economy, Vanderbilt University

Notă biografică


Descriere

This book shows that legislative transparency does not impact representation directly, but instead aids organized interests in influencing legislatures.