ABSTRACT
The accountability of those in positions of power and authority is a central aspect of liberal democracy. It is crucial to the notion of both representative and responsible government and it is a guide for ethical behaviour. It seeks to ensure that those in power will operate in accordance with a complex system of rules. These may be explicitly set out in written codes or be imbibed by some kind of socialisation process, which seeks to ensure that power is not abused and that the object is some concept of the ‘common good’, however that is interpreted in the light of the presuppositions of the holders of that power. Those subject to authority need to have confidence that the holders of power can be held to account, while those in authority need to be aware of the standards expected of them and of the sanctions that can be imposed. Thus the concept of accountability is one of the standards against which systems of governments and the individuals who make up those governments can be judged. ‘Accountable government is deemed to be good government, and carries with it connotations of advanced democracy.’ 1
