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