U.S. Transparency and Accountability
The Coalition for Integrity believes that transparency and accountability are essential characteristics of democratic governance at the federal, state, and local levels. Transparency serves two important purposes. First, it serves to open the government to those it serves. A transparent government allows people to participate in the democratic process and to keep informed of government budgets, spending, and projects. Second, transparency is a powerful weapon against corruption. When government processes are transparent, it is difficult for corruption to thrive.
Accountability goes hand in hand with transparency. An accountable government is one that is responsive to the needs of the people it serves. It listens to the voices of its citizens and uses this citizen feedback to shape and improve its policies and programs. Together, transparency and accountability stimulate public engagement, improve government responsiveness, and thereby strengthen and enrich the democratic process.
As a result of our strong belief in the importance of transparency and accountability to democratic governance, the Coalition for Integrity has made their promotion in the United States one of our strategic priorities. Our work on this subject includes the following portfolios:
State Ethics Work
Federal Ethics and Stimulus Oversight
Elections and Elected Officials’ Integrity
Undisclosed Self-Dealing by Public Officials