Transparency for Trust in Government: How Effective is Formal Transparency?

Abstract

Many countries refer to transparency not only as the right to access information, but also as a tool for enhancing government efficiency and accountability. However, the practice of transparency is still linked to the need to comply with legal obligations, not necessarily meeting citizens’ needs. The purpose of this article is twofold: it measures the levels of transparency of governments and the needs of citizens for government information and consequently assesses whether there is a gap, offering recommendations for reducing it. This should contribute to reaching higher levels of useful rather than formal transparency and may help in facilitating government-constituent relations.

Keywords:

• transparency
• citizen engagement
• information and communication technologies
• trust