The Role of the Principle of Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of open public administration and several aspects referring to transparency as a crucial principle of administrative procedure and administrative law as well as how transparency and accountability impact the value of democracy, citizens’ trust and rule of law. Transparency is a fundamental requirement for the reliability and integrity of public institutions in order to promote public trust and public support. Transparency in public administration guarantees legal assurance and increases the level of legitimacy in decision making process. The principle of transparency has a direct impact on the accountability of administration toward the citizens, while citizens are able to get all the information regarding the work of public administration and also are allowed to get involved in the process of decision-making. The transparency in public administration has a great impact in the process of public administration reform and promotes the level of efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness, as main components of the concept of good administration.

Keywords

• transparency; accountability; public administration; democracy; good governance