Questioning Public Sector Accountability

The rise of accountability seems to promote more responsible, effective, and participatory public sector action, but its benefits are less unambiguous than they appear. Activities aimed at increasing accountability proliferate as they gain importance, making monitoring an end in itself at both the national and international levels. Economic and institutional explanations for the rise of accountability fail to explain its political nature, including negotiations over power, organizational boundaries, image, social value, or moral values. If such negotiations imply that some of the value of accountability is socially constructed, then activities aimed at promoting accountability must be undertaken with circumspection. Accountability that is only accountable to the idea of accountability must be questioned.