Sunday, May 26, 2013

Important Facts Surrounding Political Accountability

By Esther Salazar


Political accountability is a term referring to the liability of civil servants, the government and its politicians whether to the legislative body comprised of parliament and congress, or the public body. In leadership terms, political accountability involves the assumption and the acknowledgment of responsibilities for products, policies, actions and decisions. Such includes the governance, administration and implementation within the degree of position or role.

There are cases where recall elections are necessary for the purpose of revoking elected officials from their offices. However, this rarely happens because generally, voters are not given the chance to hold sworn representatives accountable for the terms for which they have been elected. Furthermore, some legislators or officials are appointed, not really elected.

What gives the legislative body power to make accountable the government as a whole, including its members and the other government bodies are the statutes or constitutions. These are often exercised when holding internal inquiries. An inquiry is often held as an answer to an allegation of government misconduct and corruption.

The procedures, powers and sanctions following inquiries will usually differ between countries. Legislatures often have the power and the right to impeach anyone responsible or perhaps, even rule out a temporary suspension and remove then permanently from their offices. Accused individuals can opt to resign before they decide to go on a trial as well. In the US, an impeachment is commonly called for civil offices such as district court judges and faculty elected representatives.

In a parliamentary system, a government can rely on the parliament itself or to its subsequent supporters. They can help provide power to have the government held accountable for its actions. For instance, a parliament can call for the passing of votes stating that they do not have confidence in their own government anymore.

There have been studies conducted that found how complex it was in practice to have empowering citizens hold domestic governments to account. However, the development of clear processes that generated change within communities, groups and individuals, made understanding the complex dynamics of states and citizens much better. Fusing of tools for outcome mapping and political economy contributed to this advancement as well.

The performance of governments will usually be reflected on how countrymen hold their politicians responsible for their actions. Three factors are known to be the bases for the extent of political control public officials hold. First is the regular elections which promote a sense of disciplining politicians. The risk of getting booted out of office can compel any policy maker to properly carry out their obligations and respond to voter interests.

Another factor is the extent of knowledge possessed by citizens. This is actually just as essential as the first. Public knowledge helps curb chances for politicians to employ improper management as well as political corruption. With citizens that are informed on the varying laws and their subsequent rights, there will be lesser likelihood for politicians to do dirty work.

The last basis of political accountability is the presence of wise electorates. A country that has been operating under a democratic setting will find this most beneficial. Well-informed electorates have better chances at seeing through government performance and carrying out assessments whether malicious activities have been engaged in or not.




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