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OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRACY – THE NORWEGIAN MODEL
Professor Tom Christensen,
University of Oslo
Presentation at the 21st Annual Conference of Library and Research Services for Parliaments,
Oslo, August 10, 2005
• 1. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?• A. INDIRECT DEMOCRACY – POPULAR
MANDATE TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES• Election or parliamentary channel• PRECONDITIONS FOR POPULAR
INFLUENCE THROUGH ELECTIONS:• BROAD POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN
SELECTING POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES• Will secure varied input to the system
• CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN ELECTION RESULTS AND REPRESENTATION
• Representativeness important• Varies considerably between presidental,
Westminster and non-Westminster system• POLITICAL EXECUTIVES ABLE TO
IMPLEMENT POLICIES• Control of the administrative apparatus• Different obstacles to implementation?
• B. DIRECT DEMOCRACY• REFERENDUMS – WHETHER CONNECTED
TO ELECTIONS OR NOT• COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THROUGH
DIFFERENT CHANNELS• Interest groups through corporate channel• Lobbying – ad hoc, more single cases• INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS DIRECTLY TOWARDS
CIVIL SERVICE
• 2. OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN A DEMOCRACY
• A. GENERAL FEATURES• INFORMATION IS THE CENTRAL ISSUE• Freedom of information act• Should be objective and easy accessible• INFORMATION IS A CRUCIAL PRECONDITION
FOR POPULAR PARTICIPATION• INFORMATION ALSO CRUCIAL FOR
INFLUENCING PEOPLE
• B. IN THE ELECTION CHANNEL• EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT
POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES• E-government, online access improves
potential for information• How much and by whom will this information
be consumed?• Media important in selecting, defining and
discussing information
• EASY ACCESS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND REPRESENTATIVES
• How about their capacity to inform?• Will political information be more biased and
partisan?• What characterize people seeking
information?• HOW DO PEOPLE USE THE INCREASING
VOLUME OF INFORMATION THEY GET?
• C. THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS• BROAD INFORMATION IMPORTANT FOR
REFERENDUMS• OPENNESS IMPORTANT FOR INTEGRATED
PARTICIPATION FROM INTEREST GROUPS• ACCESS AND TRANSPARENCY GIVE LOBBY
GROUPS BETTER CONDITIONS• TRANSPARENCY IMPORTANT
PRECONDITION OF INDIVIDUAL CONTACT
• 3. A NORWEGIAN MODEL?• MORE A SCANDINAVIAN ONE:• PARLIAMENT OPEN AND TRANSPARENT• Easy to get information, easy to contact
political representatives, few obstacles• Question hours, scrutiny and investigations• STRONG ACCESS FOR INTEREST GROUPS• Tight formal collaboration with authorities• STRONG MEDIA SCRUTINY
• 4. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MODERN REFORMS• A. MAIN FEATURES OF NEW PUBLIC
MANAGEMENT• LESS EMPHASIS ON THE CITIZENSHIP ROLE• THE STATE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER• Competition and choice• MORE FRAGMENTED STATE• Less political control from Parliament and
political executives
• B. EFFECTS FOR OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY
• OPTIMISTIC VIEW:• PUBLIC AUTHORITIES MORE
PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED• WILL THEREFORE FURTHER• More openness and transparency• Actively give more information as a basis of
choice and evaluation
• PESSIMISTIC VIEW:• LESS ACCESS AND MORE SECRECY• Related to contracts and business secrets• MORE DEMANDING FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK,
RECEIVE AND HANDLE INFORMATION• Information overload, even though peoples’
education and competence is increasing• The ones with most social and political
resources will prevail, creating biases• High ideals problematic to fullfill