Open Budgets : The Political Economy of Transparency, Participation, and Accountability

A Brookings Institution Press and Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation publication Decisions about "who gets what, when, and how" are perhaps the most important that any government must make. So it should not be remarkable that around the world, public officials responsible for public budgeting are facing demands—from their own citizenry, other government officials, economic actors, and increasingly from international sources—to make their patterns of spending more transparent and their processes more participatory. Surprisingly, rigorous analysis of the causes and consequences of fiscal transparency is thin at best. Open Budgets seeks to fill this gap in existing knowledge by answering a few broad questions: How and why do improvements in fiscal transparency and participation come about? How are they sustained over time? When and how do increased fiscal transparency and participation lead to improved government responsiveness and accountability? Contributors: Steven Friedman (Rhodes University/University of Johannesburg); Jorge Antonio Alves (Queens College, CUNY) and Patrick Heller (Brown University); Jong-sung You (University of California—San Diego) and Wonhee Lee (Hankyung National University); John M. Ackerman (National Autonomous University of Mexico and Mexican Law Review); Aaron Schneider (University of Denver) and Annabella España-Najéra (California State University–Fresno); Barak D. Hoffman (Georgetown University); Jonathan Warren and Huong Nguyen (University of Washington); Linda Beck (University of Maine–Farmington and Columbia University), E. H. Seydou Nourou Toure (Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noire), and Aliou Faye (Senegal Ministry of the Economy and Finance).

Decisions about "who gets what, when, and how" are perhaps the most important that any government must make. So it should not be remarkable that around the world, public officials responsible for public budgeting are facing demands—from their own citizenry, other government officials, economic actors, and increasingly from international sources—to make their patterns of spending more transparent and their processes more participatory.

Surprisingly, rigorous analysis of the causes and consequences of fiscal transparency is thin at best. Open Budgets seeks to fill this gap in existing knowledge by answering a few broad questions: How and why do improvements in fiscal transparency and participation come about? How are they sustained over time? When and how do increased fiscal transparency and participation lead to improved government responsiveness and accountability?

Contributors: Steven Friedman (Rhodes University/University of Johannesburg); Jorge Antonio Alves (Queens College, CUNY) and Patrick Heller (Brown University); Jong-sung You (University of California—San Diego) and Wonhee Lee (Hankyung National University); John M. Ackerman (National Autonomous University of Mexico and Mexican Law Review); Aaron Schneider (University of Denver) and Annabella España-Najéra (California State University–Fresno); Barak D. Hoffman (Georgetown University); Jonathan Warren and Huong Nguyen (University of Washington); Linda Beck (University of Maine–Farmington and Columbia University), E. H. Seydou Nourou Toure (Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noire), and Aliou Faye (Senegal Ministry of the Economy and Finance).

Explicates Political Economy Factors That Have Brought About Greater Transparency And Participation In Budget Settings Across Asia, Africa, And Latin America. This Title Presents The Strategies, Policies, And Institutions Through Which Improvements Can Occur And Produce Change In Policy And Institutional Outcomes. 1. Overview And Synthesis : The Political Economy Of Fiscal Transparency, Participation, And Accountability Around The World / Sanjeev Khagram, Paolo De Renzio And Archon Fung -- 2. What We Know Can't Hurt Them : Origins, Sources Of Sustenance, And Survival Prospects Of Budget Transparency In South Africa / Steven Friedman -- 3. Accountability From The Top Down? : Brazil's Advances In Budget Accountability Despite A Lack Of Popular Mobilization / Jorge Antonio Alves And Patrick Heller -- 4. A Mutually Reinforcing Loop : Budget Transparency And Participation In South Korea / Jong-sung You And Wonhee Lee -- 5. Budget Transparency And Accountability In Mexico : High Hopes, Low Performance / John M. Ackerman -- 6. Guatemala : Limited Advances Within Advancing Limits / Aaron Schneider And Annabella Espana-najera -- 7. The Limits Of Top-down Reform : Budget Transparency In Tanzania / Barak D. Hoffman -- 8. The Diversification Of State Power : Vietnam's Alternative Path Toward Budget Transparency, Accountability, And Participation / Jonathan Warren And Huong Nguyen -- 9. Capturing Movement At The Margins : Senegal's Efforts At Budget Transparency Reform . Linda Beck, E. H. Seydou Nourou Toure, And Aliou Faye Sanjeev Khagram, Archon Fung, And Paolo De Renzio, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. " Decisions about ""who gets what, when, and how"" are perhaps the most important that any government must make. So it should not be remarkable that around the world, public officials responsible for public budgeting are facing demandsfrom their own citizenry, other government officials, economic actors, and increasingly from international sourcesto make their patterns of spending more transparent and their processes more participatory. Surprisingly, rigorous analysis of the causes and consequences of fiscal transparency is thin at best. Open Budgets seeks to fill this gap in existing knowledge by answering a few broad How and why do improvements in fiscal transparency and participation come about? How are they sustained over time? When and how do increased fiscal transparency and participation lead to improved government responsiveness and accountability? Steven Friedman (Rhodes University/University of Johannesburg); Jorge Antonio Alves (Queens College, CUNY) and Patrick Heller (Brown University); Jong-sung You (University of CaliforniaSan Diego) and Wonhee Lee (Hankyung National University); John M. Ackerman (National Autonomous University of Mexico and Mexican Law Review); Aaron Schneider (University of Denver) and Annabella Espaa-Najra (California State UniversityFresno); Barak D. Hoffman (Georgetown University); Jonathan Warren and Huong Nguyen (University of Washington); Linda Beck (University of MaineFarmington and Columbia University), E. H. Seydou Nourou Toure (Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noire), and Aliou Faye (Senegal Ministry of the Economy and Finance). " Overview and synthesis. The political economy of fiscal transparency, participation, and accountability around the world -- Sanjeev Khagram, Paolo de Renzio, and Archon Fung What we know can't hurt them : origins, sources of sustenance, and survival prospects of budget transparency in South Africa -- Steven Friedman Accountability from the top down? : Brazil's advances in budget accountability despite a lack of popular mobilization -- Jorge Antonio Alves and Patrick Heller A mutually reinforcing loop : budget transparency and participation in South Korea -- Jong-sung You and Wonhee Lee Budget transparency and accountability in Mexico : high hopes, low performance -- John M. Ackerman Guatemala : limited advances within advancing limits -- Aaron Schneider and Annabella España-Najéra The limits of top-down reform : budget transparency in Tanzania -- Barak D. Hoffman The diversification of state power : Vietnam's alternative path toward budget transparency, accountability, and participation -- Jonathan Warren and Huong Nguyen Capturing movement at the margins : Senegal's efforts at budget transparency reform -- Linda Beck, E.H. Seydou Nourou Toure, and Aliou Faye. Decisions about "who gets what, when, and how" are perhaps the most important that any government must make. So it should not be remarkable that around the world, public officials responsible for public budgeting are facing demands -- from their own citizenry, other government officials, economic actors, and increasingly from international sources -- to make their patterns of spending more transparent and their processes more participatory. Surprisingly, rigorous analysis of the causes and consequences of fiscal transparency is thin at best. This book seeks to fill this gap in existing knowledge by answering a few broad questions: How and why do improvements in fiscal transparency and participation come about? How are they sustained over time? When and how do increased fiscal transparency and participation lead to improved government responsiveness and accountability?