Democratic transition and transparency reform: An fsQCA analysis of access to information laws in twenty-three countries
Ingrams,Alex
Ingrams,Alex
Abstract
The connection between democracy and transparency would appear to be strong. Democratic countries have been among the earliest adopters of new legislation in transparency reforms such as access to information (ATI) laws. However, research has not yet tested the connection in the context of democratic reform where transitioning countries have the option to adopt ATI laws, and yet may, nevertheless, neglect or delay passage of such laws. To address this question, this paper uses Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) with 23 countries that are in democratic transition in the fourth wave of democratic transition in the 21st century. The results show that low political competition in conjunction with strong civil society, regional pressure and recognition of international norms is favourable to ATI adoption. In contrast, the non-ATI adopters have encountered high political competition coupled with low regional pressure, weak international norms, and weak press freedoms.
Description
Date
2018-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Democratic transition, Access to information, Transparency, Political competition, Qualitative comparative analysis, E-GOVERNMENT, ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT, CIVIL-SERVICE, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNANCE, INVESTMENT, RISE, FOUNDATIONS, PERCEPTIONS, SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Citation
Ingrams, A 2018, 'Democratic transition and transparency reform : An fsQCA analysis of access to information laws in twenty-three countries', Government Information Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 428-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2018.05.001
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess