“THE CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY: A DEMOCRATIC VIRTUE” BY GIANFRANCO PASQUINO AND RICCARDO PELIZZO, TAYLOR & FRANCIS, 2022

Abstract

The Culture of Accountability: A Democratic Virtue examines the notion of accountability and reveals the influence of institutional and cultural factors on political accountability. The novelty of the book is that accountability is treated as a product of three distinct processes: taking account of voters’ preferences, keeping account of voters’ preferences, and giving account of one’s performance in office. Another appealing point is that the book explores the accountability-culture nexus. Besides the traditional conceptualization of culture (civicness, religion), it pays attention to the culture of government. In addition to cultural factors, the book explores the impact of institutional conditions (the parliamentary form of government) on accountability.