In contrast to predictions from long-honored theories, corruption has become a threat even to established democracies. Its practices corrode the principle of fairness and make whole communities believe that trading favors is the inescapable rationale of government. Distrust consolidates a social trap that direct interventions have proven hard to defuse. This article develops the argument that accountability provides grounds for a promising indirect strategy and can counter corruption from the entry point of administrative policy decisions. It addresses administrative accountability as the mechanism that can compel decisions to consider others’ concerns and discusses why it can fail when it is activated only ex post as managerial control. The conclusions list the features of instrument and governance design under which the mechanism is reasonably expected to succeed.

Deploying administrative accountability to hinder systemic corruption : what do we know, and what can we expect? / A. Damonte. - In: RIVISTA ITALIANA DI POLITICHE PUBBLICHE. - ISSN 1722-1137. - 2017:3(2017 Dec), pp. 417-441. [10.1483/88195]

Deploying administrative accountability to hinder systemic corruption : what do we know, and what can we expect?

A. Damonte
2017

Abstract

In contrast to predictions from long-honored theories, corruption has become a threat even to established democracies. Its practices corrode the principle of fairness and make whole communities believe that trading favors is the inescapable rationale of government. Distrust consolidates a social trap that direct interventions have proven hard to defuse. This article develops the argument that accountability provides grounds for a promising indirect strategy and can counter corruption from the entry point of administrative policy decisions. It addresses administrative accountability as the mechanism that can compel decisions to consider others’ concerns and discusses why it can fail when it is activated only ex post as managerial control. The conclusions list the features of instrument and governance design under which the mechanism is reasonably expected to succeed.
Accountability; Administrative procedures; Corruption; Institutional design; Performance measures
Settore SPS/04 - Scienza Politica
   Procedural Tools for Effective Growth (PROTEGO) Patterns, Outcomes and Policy DesignProcedural Tools for Effective Growth: Patterns, Outcomes and policy Design
   PROTEGO
   EUROPEAN COMMISSION
   H2020
   694632
dic-2017
16-nov-2017
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
1722-1137-27005-6.pdf

accesso riservato

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 260.67 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
260.67 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/540905
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact