Electoral accountability in Indonesia (GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report 1073)
What are the constraints to electoral mechanisms of accountability? What evidence is there that certain interventions impact on electoral accountability?
Abstract
Query
What are the constraints to electoral mechanisms of accountability? What evidence is available that certain interventions or tools impact on electoral accountability?
Overview
This report provides an overview of constraints to electoral accountability, with a particular focus on Indonesia. It also looks at interventions or tools that can impact on electoral accountability. There are many different definitions of electoral accountability. For the purposes of this report, electoral accountability is defined as citizens’ ability to use electoral mechanisms to incentivise politicians to act in their interests.
In his literature review on electoral institutions and local government accountability Packel (2008, p. 1) notes that that “little attention has been devoted to how specific electoral mechanisms fare in delivering accountability, or even whether elections are used by voters to hold officials accountable for certain policy decisions.” Packel also notes that electoral studies tend to focus on the national level rather than looking at electoral systems at the local level (2008, p. 1). This rapid literature review has found limited evidence of interventions or tools that can impact on electoral accountability at the subnational level.
Citation
Strachan, A.L. Electoral accountability in Indonesia (GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report 1073). Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (2014) 6 pp.
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