Safeguarding public accountability in horizontal government

Ank Michels and Albert Meijer

Public Management Review, 2008, vol. 10, issue 2, 165-173

Abstract: The trend towards horizontalization in government prompts a debate on safeguarding public accountability. This article contributes to the debate by presenting categories of horizontalization in government, types of horizontal accountability and criteria for judging the appropriateness of arrangements for public accountability. Accountability arrangements must meet the requirements of the democratic constitutional state to provide adequate checks and balances. This implies, among other things, that responsibilities must be clear and the information supply, debate and sanctioning options must all be established. A discussion of existing mechanisms for horizontal accountability indicates that the requirements of a democratic constitutional state are generally not sufficiently met. This makes it imperative to establish more balanced arrangements for public accountability that fit more horizontal forms of government.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1080/14719030801928490

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