Accountability Problems, Mechanisms and Significances(2005年公共管理国际会议论文).docVIP

Accountability: Problems, Mechanisms and Significances( MAO Yu School of Public Administration Huazhong University of Science and Technology, P.R.China, 430074 Abstract Accountability in its modern sense is a pretty new concept in contemporary China and currently involving more and more concerns among the academic researchers and practitioners in the field of public administration and management. This paper argues and analyzes the understanding and misunderstanding of the term and functions of accountability, traces back to the tradition of administrative responsibility in Chinese history, investigates the mechanisms of accountability in Contemporary China, and prospects the significance of building the Chinese accountability system. Key words Accountability, Mechanism, Significance 1 Introduction In 2003, because of the lack of transparency and incapability to deal with the urgent crisis during the SARS, the minister of the Ministry of Health and the mayor of Peking were dismissed by the State Council of PR China. Later that year, Ma Fucai, president of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, resigned after a gas well run by his company exploded and killed 243 people. After that year, a number of officials of government at different levels, from ministers to local administrators resigned or were sacked due to misadministration. A strong calling for accountability system for the officials in government has appeared in China, not only required by the highest political leaders but also by grass root population. The concept of accountability has taken shape since then. Political leaders, bureaucrats, academic researchers and practitioners in public service begin to pay more and more attention to the concept, the mechanism and the way to strengthen accountability. The current calling for building and strengthening accountability system is not an event by accident. There are at least five factors, directly or indirectly, leading to it. Firstly, the rapid