ACCOUNTABILITY IN DEMOCRATIC REGIMES

Resumo

This article discusses the relation between corruption andaccountability, showing that the more accountable a government is, thegreater the ability of the voter to evaluate the true effectiveness of thatgovernment and inhibit and repress occasional abuses. Confidence inthe political class is dependent on mechanisms that guarantee freedomand the preservation of that confidence, which is in direct relation tothe need for accountability. A consequent issue is the effectiveness ofwhat has been called vertical accountability, i.e., elections. This articleargues that elections serve only to invest authority in politicians and donot reward or punish; therefore, elections are a weak mechanism foraccountability. Finally, this article establishes the importance ofaccountability in representative democracies for good institutionalfunctioning.