Introduction: Exploring Citizenship, Participation and Accountability.
Abstract
This is the introduction to a Bulletin Issue on 'Exploring citizenship, participation and accountability.' Around the world, a growing crisis of legitimacy characterises the relationship between citizens and the institutions that affect their lives. Traditional forms of expertise and representation are being questioned. In the past, there has been a tendency to respond to the gap that exists between citizens and institutions in one of two ways. One the one hand, attention has been paid to strengthening the processes of participation. On the other hand, growing attention has been paid to strengthening the accountability and responsiveness of these institutions and policies through changes in institutional design and a focus on the enabling structures for good governance. Increasingly, however, we are beginning to see the importance of working on both sides of the equation. The articles in this issue of the IDS Bulletin explore three related areas: meanings and expressions of rights and citizenship; concepts and practices of participation, and dimensions of accountability.
Citation
Gaventra, J. Exploring Citizenship, Participation and Accountability. IDS Bulletin (2002) 33 (2) 1-14. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1759-5436.2002.tb00020.x]
Links