Accountability in Crises and Public
Trust in Governing Institutions
This book examines how efforts to exert accountability in crises affect public trust in governing institutions. Using Sweden as the case study, this book provides a framework to analyze accountability in crises and looks at how this affects trust in government.
Crises test the fabric of governing institutions. Threatening core societal values, they force elected officials and public servants to make consequential decisions under pressure and uncertainty. Public trust in governing institutions is intrinsically linked to the ability to hold decision-makers accountable for the crucial decisions they make. The book presents empirical evidence from examination of the general bases for accountability in public administration, and the accountability mechanisms of specific administrative systems, before focusing on longer-term policy changes. The author finds that within the complex web of bureaucratic and political moves democratic processes have been undermined across time contributing to misplaced and declining trust in governing institutions.
Accountability in Crises and Public Trust in Governing Institutions will be of interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of public policy, political leadership, and governance.
Lina Svedin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Utah, USA.
Routledge studies in governance and public policy
1 Public Sector Ethics
Finding and implementing values
Edited by Charles Sampford and Noel Preston with Carol-Anne Bois
2 Ethics and Political Practice
Perspectives on legislative ethics
Edited by Noel Preston and Charles Sampford with Carol-Anne Bois
3 Why Does Policy Change?
Lessons from British Transport Policy 194599
Jeremy Richardson and Geoffrey Dudley
4 Social Relations and Social Exclusion
Rethinking political economy
Peter Somerville
5 Local Partnerships and Social Exclusion in the European Union
New forms of local social governance?
Edited by Mike Geddes and John Benington
6 Local Governance in England and France
Alistair Cole and Peter John
7 Politicization of the Civil Service in Comparative Perspective
The quest for control
Edited by B. Guy Peters and Jon Pierre
8 Urban Governance and Democracy
Leadership and community involvement
Edited by Michael Haus, Hubert Heinelt and Murray Stewart
9 Legitimacy and Urban Governance
A cross-national comparative study
Edited by Hubert Heinelt, David Sweeting and Panagiotis Getimis
10 The Idea of Public Service
Reflections on the higher civil service in Britain
Barry OToole
11 Changing Images of Civil Society
From protest to government
Edited by Bruno Jobert and Beate Kohler-Koch
12 Reasserting the Public in Public Services
New public management reforms
Edited by M. Ramesh, Eduardo Araral and Xun Wu
13 Governing Modern Societies
Towards participatory governance
Hubert Heinelt
14 Understanding the Politics of Pandemic Scares
An introduction to global politosomatics
Mika Aaltola
15 Accountability in Crises and Public Trust in Governing Institutions
Lina Svedin
First published 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2012 Lina Svedin
The right of Lina Svedin to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Svedin, Lina, 1974-
Accountability in crises and public trust in governing institutions/Lina
Svedin.
p. cm. - (Routledge studies in governance and public policy; 15)
1. Emergency management-Decision making. 2. Emergency
management-Moral and ethical aspects. 3. Government accountability.
4. Emergency management-Decision making-Case studies. 5.
Emergency management-Moral and ethical aspects-Case studies. 6.
Government accountability-Case studies. I. Title.
HV551.2.S89 2012
363.34-dc23 2011044610
ISBN: 978-0-415-61583-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-12014-9 (ebk)
To Hamilton
Sverige, Sverige lskade vn
En tiger som skms
Jag vet hur det knns
Nr allvaret har blivit ett skmt
Nr tystnaden skrms
Vad r det som hnt
Kent 2002
Preface
In some ways it may seem ironic that I, a Swede by origin and culture, would be looking at accountability and Swedish crisis management at a time when the country I live and work in, the United States, is involved in two wars and has witnessed crises that make most modern day Swedish crises and crisis management seem pale by comparison. However, I believe as James March put it, that organizations can only really learn from people who do not adapt to the code. My hope is that by offering an outsiders view, politically and organizationally, on how accountability is exerted in Swedish politics and administration, this book will contribute to better crisis management and, ultimately, to a reversal of the trend of decreasing trust in Swedish governing institutions.
As a social scientist I believe strength lies in asking the right questions. And by that I mean good questions that matter. Bill Moyers expressed this well, my folks and I try and figure out the difference between the important and the immediate. Because the immediate is not always the most important (Stewart 2011). As a political scientist, I believe that it is our job to ask the hard questions about how to govern. Furthermore, as a crisis management expert through research and practice, I am increasingly aware of the importance of ethics in crisis management.
