Democratic Accountability

It is common for political leaders to claim they have no control over bad outcomes. Indeed, they often cite the arguments of political theorists and public intellectuals as to why: history rushes onward oblivious of human will; force and violence overcome political aims; globalization undermines the actions of national leaders; the bureaucracy sabotages their intentions; bad outcomes are often the unintended result of actions. In "Democratic Accountability", Leif Lewin examines these reasons and argues that they are unconvincing. He makes his case by describing and analysing counterexamples in seven cases, including the prevention of a communist takeover in Europe after World War II, the European Union's preventing another European war, and Margaret Thatcher's taming of the bureaucracy in Britain. In a staunch defence of the possibility for meaningful and profound democratic decision making, Lewin finds that, in fact, not only do political leaders exert a good measure of control and therefore can be assigned responsibility, but the meaning of the functioning democracy is that the people hold their leaders accountable.

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In this stimulating analysis, Leif Lewin wrestles with one of the most frustrating problems of contemporary democracy, the difficulty of holding elected leaders responsible for policies. The difficulty is based on the objective complexity and interdependence of policymaking in the modern state and on the tendency of politicians to use that context deliberately to avoid responsibility when policies go bad. The temptation, of course, is understandable, although not, as Lewin reminds us, ethically excusable. -- G. Bingham Powell, Jr. Political Science Quarterly 20071201

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Leif Lewin is Johan Skytte Professor of Eloquence and Government, Uppsala University, Sweden.

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1. Introduction: The Politics of Blame Avoidance * Accountability as a Democratic Value * Politics as Rational Action * Critical Cases as Counter-Examples 2. History Is Not Predetermined * The End of History * The Politics of Containment * Accountability and Counterfactual Analysis 3. Nation-States Need Not Go to War * The War of All against All * L'Europe des Patries * Accountability and Legitimacy 4. Globalization Has Not Wiped Out the Freedom to Choose * The Globalization Trap * Agenda 21 * Accountability and the Market 5. Power-Sharing Does Not Exclude Responsibility * Power-Sharing * Mani Pulite * Accountability and the Ethics of Conviction and Responsibility 6. Implementation May Well Be Immaculate * The Theory of Budget-Maximization * The Politics of Retrenchment * Accountability and Bureaucracy 7. Consequences May Well Be as Intended * Unintended Consequences * The Gent System * Accountability and Expertise 8. Action Can Be Meaningful Even if Irrational * The Logic of Rational Action: The Roots * The Logic of Appropriateness: Gotterdammerung * Accountability and History 9. Conclusion: The Necessity of Choice * Choice Is Possible * Choice Is Mandatory * Notes * Bibliography * Acknowledgments * Index

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