Does freedom of information contribute to more open administrations? An empirical analysis of the link between active and passive forms of transparency
{"title":"Does freedom of information contribute to more open administrations? An empirical analysis of the link between active and passive forms of transparency","authors":"Vincent Mabillard, Nicolas Keuffer","doi":"10.1080/12294659.2022.2044107","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Government transparency has been widely commented through the adoption of freedom of information laws. Several studies have shown a positive effect of access to information on government transparency. This contribution, based on a quantitative analysis of 2,222 Swiss municipalities, adds to the literature by combining disclosure of information on municipalities’ websites and constrained release of information. The findings indicate that more proactive transparency practices are not observed in regional entities that have enacted transparency laws. Nevertheless, they also indicate that levels of proactive transparency are slightly higher in municipalities where freedom of information has been implemented for a long time.","PeriodicalId":39993,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Public Administration","volume":"27 1","pages":"55 - 72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"2","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Review of Public Administration","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/12294659.2022.2044107","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 2
Abstract
ABSTRACT Government transparency has been widely commented through the adoption of freedom of information laws. Several studies have shown a positive effect of access to information on government transparency. This contribution, based on a quantitative analysis of 2,222 Swiss municipalities, adds to the literature by combining disclosure of information on municipalities’ websites and constrained release of information. The findings indicate that more proactive transparency practices are not observed in regional entities that have enacted transparency laws. Nevertheless, they also indicate that levels of proactive transparency are slightly higher in municipalities where freedom of information has been implemented for a long time.
期刊介绍:
The International Review of Public Administration (ISSN 1229-4659) is published biannually by the Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA) to provide a worldwide audience with the opportunity for communication and further understanding on issues of public administration and policy. There will be a triple-blind peer review process for all submissions of articles of general interest. There are no particular limitations on subject areas as long as they are related to the field of public administration and policy or deal with public employees. Articles should be analytic and demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in conceptualization, craftsmanship, and methodology.