Social Accountability in the Regulatory Policy Process: The Governance of Telecommunications in Italy and Spain

Abstract

Through a systematic exploration of accountability in regulatory governance, this collection makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on the subject. Chapters authored by a selection of the most influential figures in the field of regulatory governance address how to introduce political and policy accountability to the actors and institutions involved in the policy process, a key issue in relation to regulatory policy legitimacy. Beyond conventional accountability procedures within the political system, the volume discusses the extent to which more specific accountability tools to communicate with more diverse audiences have emerged.The first section introduces a quantitative approach to measure the actual dimensions of accountability instruments already in place within regulatory agencies, while the second utilises comparative approaches, case studies and theoretical discussions which focus on the diverse problems actors and institutions face to make their activities and procedures more accountable to their constituencies and to society as a whole. The final contributions explore the implications that accountability challenges pose to democratic procedures and global governance processes and discuss how accountability, regulatory governance and democracy are related.