ABSTRACT
The theme of this chapter is that accountability is a universal desire of citizens. According to the logic of so many philosophers of politics, acknowledging the power of others or appreciating the threat that other beings may use their power over us is what terrifies the rational human being the most. It is a natural part of the human psyche to inquire after the sources and the depth of power, particularly if these things are unknown to us (Burke [1759] 2004, 101-28). Whether we refer to our desire to reckon with the power of the unknown as curiosity or intelligence, rationality or inquisitiveness, at the root our desire is for an account, a rendering of what is or what was, whether from other people or from nature itself.
