Principal investigator: Elisabeth Gidengil Professor, Political Science McGill University |
Abstract: When governments are held accountable, they have a clear incentive to be responsive (Przeworski et al 1999; Soroka & Wlezien 2010) and citizens have greater confidence that their participation is meaningful (Downs 1957). Whereas most studies have focused almost exclusively on the government’s management of the economy and on electoral mechanisms, we will examine how citizens can take actions outside the electoral arena to hold governments and other powerful actors accountable. At the core of the theoretical approach is the classic reward-and-punish mechanism. However, citizens won’t be able to act on their performance evaluations if they can’t attribute responsibility. If air pollution decreases, should citizens reward companies that have shifted away from high pollution production practices, or the governments who regulate them, or both? Performance evaluations and attributions of responsibility are shaped by citizens’ capabilities and the social and institutional context.
Members involved in the project:
- André Blais – Professor, Political Science, Université de Montréal
- Marc André Bodet – Professor, Political Science, Université Laval
- Patrick Fournier – Professor, Political Science, Université de Montréal
- Jean-François Godbout – Professor, Political Science, Université de Montréal
- Allison Harell – Professor, Political Science, UQÀM
Student involved in the project:
- Joshua Borden – PhD Student, Political Science, McGill
Grant
- FRQSC – Soutien aux équipes de recherche – La responsabilité démocratique: Le rôle des citoyens (2016/04 – 2020/03)