Landwehr, C. and Wood, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-0433-2972 (2018) Reconciling credibility and accountability: how expert bodies achieve credibility through accountability processes. European Politics and Society, 20 (1). pp. 66-82. ISSN 2374-5118
Abstract
Arguments about the legitimate role of expert bodies in Europe often centre on the following question: Does their independence help to make policies credible or should they be made democratically accountable to principals and stakeholders? This article claims this is a false dichotomy. It does so by arguing theoretically that credibility can be achieved through accountability processes. Then, drawing on exemplary case studies, this article identifies distinctive accountability processes for ensuring credibility: revisable competencies, deliberation over institutional design, and engagement in public justification. Credibility and accountability are thus not conflicting, but co-constitutive aims of delegation to expert bodies. The analysis provides European policy makers and others with a guide for thinking beyond the contrast between ‘democratic accountability’ and ‘independent credibility’.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in European Politics and Society. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Delegation; accountability; credibility; expertise; legitimacy |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Politics and International Relations (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 05 Sep 2018 11:37 |
Last Modified: | 25 Apr 2024 13:54 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/23745118.2018.1515875 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:135330 |