Reflection in the Shadow of Blame: When Do Politicians Appoint Commissions of Inquiry?

Raanan Sulitzeanu-Kenan

British Journal of Political Science, 2010, vol. 40, issue 3, 613-634

Abstract: Commissions of inquiry play an important role in the aftermath of crisis, by serving as instruments of accountability and policy learning. Yet crises also involve a high-stake game of political survival, in which accountability and learning pose a serious threat to incumbent politicians. The political decision of whether to appoint a commission of inquiry after a crisis thus provides a unique prism for studying the intense conflict between politics, accountability and policy learning. Using data from the United Kingdom, this study develops and tests a choice model for this political decision. The results show that the political decision to appoint inquiries into public crises is strongly influenced by short-term blame avoidance considerations, media salience and government popularity.

Date: 2010
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