Who are the Policy Workers and What Are They Doing? Citizen's Heuristics and Democratic Accountability in Complex Governance

Public Performance Management Review, Forthcoming

NYU Wagner Research Paper No. 2703639

40 Pages Posted: 15 Dec 2015

See all articles by Anthony M. Bertelli

Anthony M. Bertelli

Pennsylvania State University; Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals - IBEI

Date Written: December 14, 2015

Abstract

Two critical questions for the study of accountability in contemporary governance can focus attention on the citizen, rather than the official. I begin with the question of whether a citizen can identify a policy worker — that is, the bureaucrat, contractor, or other actor acting in pursuit of a legislated policy goal. I then turn to whether a citizen can evaluate policy work that is done to further a legislated policy goal. Both identification and evaluation prove tricky to assess in a great deal of policy work, leaving accountability an important, but elusive, democratic value. This paper provides a framework for analysts to understand when and why accountability works from a citizen’s perspective and what incentives policy workers and politicians have when it does.

Keywords: Accountability, Governance, Heuristics, Democracy, Collaboration, Managerialism, Participation, Deliberation

JEL Classification: D73

Suggested Citation

Bertelli, Anthony M., Who are the Policy Workers and What Are They Doing? Citizen's Heuristics and Democratic Accountability in Complex Governance (December 14, 2015). Public Performance Management Review, Forthcoming, NYU Wagner Research Paper No. 2703639, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2703639

Anthony M. Bertelli (Contact Author)

Pennsylvania State University ( email )

University Park, PA 16802-3306
United States

HOME PAGE: http://tonybertelli.com

Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals - IBEI ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27
Barcelona, Barcelona 08005
Spain

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