Accountability in Public Administration: A Multi-Perspective Framework of Analysis

Abstract

This article adopts a relativist philosophical stance reviewing alternative conceptualisations of ‘accountability in public administration’. It evaluates traditional, democratic, professional, managerialist, governance, regulatory and rational choice perspectives of accountability. By analysing each perspective we can see what each reveals (as well as neglects). By asking different questions and providing different answers each perspective has heuristic qualities that allow us to analyse in sufficient depth what ‘accountability in public administration’ amounts to. This analysis suggests that while accountability may be improving within and between public organisations (through managerial and regulatory codes) there remain question marks as regards accountability to the wider public.