This book explores accountability from a range of perspectives, crossing traditional disciplinary, thematic, and professional boundaries. It asks fresh questions about accountability and its place and importance in democratic societies.

Accountability matters. It matters because it connects the governors with the governed, and for this reason it is a hallmark of democratic governance. And yet, amidst a backdrop of concerns about democratic back-sliding, the rise of populism, the role of algorithmic governance, moral barbarism, and post-truth politics — to mention just a few issues — a number of potentially far-reaching questions of accountability have been asked. It is for exactly this reason that this book explores the concept of accountability from a range of perspectives, crossing traditional disciplinary, thematic, and professional boundaries. It asks fresh questions about accountability and its place and importance in democratic societies.

The book considers the questions raised by the shifting architecture of accountability. Whilst some scholars suggest that accountability processes have never been so effective —trumpeting the rise of monitory democracy with its dense array of watchdogs, sleaze-busters, auditors, legislative committees, statutory supports, and investigative mechanisms — others express concern about the risk of ‘overloads’, ‘gaps’, and ‘traps’. This has led to a focus on fuzzy accountability and diagonal accountability, pointing to increasing conceptual confusion.

Bringing together world-leading scholars and former politicians and public servants, the book cuts through this confusion and provides the reader with the answers to the most debated issues, including rarely discussed ‘pathologies of accountability’, post-human governance, and a novel focus on balance and proportionality.

This books brings together world-leading scholars and former politicians and public servants to clarify and provide the reader with answers to the most debated issues. * European Review of Public Law *

Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield, UK.
Chris Monaghan is Principal Lecturer in Law at the University of Worcester, UK.