Synonyms
Answerability; Honesty; Integrity; Liability; Respect
Definition
The oversight of federal programs and operations by elected authority to ensure the business of government, and those undertaking the business of government, are answerable to the American people.
Introduction
A major challenge to accountability in the federal government is politics. That statement may seem a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it is the balance of political power with policy objectives that makes strong accountability regimes so difficult to implement. Politics and governance are two separate endeavors that are intimately intertwined. The latter consists of addressing the functional aspects of governing society that make modern life livable. The former consists of building brand image and gaining votes. The role of accountability in governance and in politics is thereby also intertwined – public disclosure of efforts to advance policies that help one set of interests at the expense of another even if done...
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Rauh, J. (2022). Accountability in Federal Government. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66252-3_2247
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66252-3_2247
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