Accountability Relations in Minipublics and Organizers

Abstract

This article aims to better understand accountability in the context of minipublics. It will identify different accountability relations in minipublics. This will reveal that accountability is a more important value to organizers than to the participants and the deliberative accountability of organizers will be highlighted as a desired quality expected from them. In addition, before the conclusion, three points will be raised to broaden our understanding of accountability in minipublics. Firstly, trust-based selection model of principal-agent accountability (Mansbridge 2009, 2014) will be discussed, as it seems to offer us a different perspective on the weak accountability of participants and points at the importance of selection done by organizers. Secondly, it will be argued that the empowerment of minipublics becomes important when we think about whether we want stronger accountability mechanisms in minipublics. Finally, it will be argued that organizers might be held accountable for the decisions made by an empowered minipublic.