Citizen Attitudes Toward Transparency in Local Government

TLDR

The debate over balancing governmental secrecy and open government is central, with citizens varying in their interest and demand for transparency. The study develops indices to measure citizens' demand for local government transparency and examines its correlates. Using a national online survey of over 1,800 respondents, the authors constructed indices and analyzed correlates of transparency demand and information requests. The analysis reveals multiple dimensions of transparency demand—fiscal, safety, government concerns, and principled openness—driven by age, ideology, confidence, contact frequency, and perceived lack of access, with some factors also predicting actual information requests.

Abstract

The proper balance between governmental secrecy and open government is at the forefront of contemporary public debate. Citizens have different degrees of interest in and demand for governmental transparency. Using data from a national online survey of more than 1,800 respondents, we develop several indices to measure citizens' demand for transparency at the local level and explore its correlates. We also examine the correlates of citizens' reported requests for information from local government. The data and analysis suggest that there are several dimensions to the public's demand for transparency, including fiscal, safety, and government concerns, and principled openness. Age, political ideology, confidence in government leaders, frequency of contacting government, and especially the perception that there is currently not enough access to government appear to drive the public's demand for transparency, although determinants differ for each dimension. Some, although not all, of these factors also predict citizens' actual requests for government information.