By Susan Rose-Ackerman
The transition to democracy in significant and jap Europe isn't really whole. the method in which governments make coverage is frequently closed and hard to penetrate. usually, just a couple of insiders are consulted, or even while the method is extra oprn, couple of minutes limits and bureaucratic resistance make the method opaque to boring electorate. Drawing on interviews with key officers and personal region activists, this ebook files current issues of the policymaking tactics in Hungary and Poland and argues for reforms that might increase the responsibility of all democracies within the area.
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Additional info for From Elections to Democracy: Building Accountable Government in Hungary and Poland
Example text
This is partly because of the weakness of some groups and partly because of the limited opportunities for participation. Some examples exist of constructive interactions between government agencies and organized groups that influenced policy outcomes, but consultation is largely a government-led process. There are only limited options to appeal to the courts, so civil society groups seldom can demand the right to be heard. Access to the constitutional courts is possible on some matters in both countries but has played little role in improving public participation.
Third, the old elite gained by obtaining some of the privatized state property. This gave them a stake in the system and made them uninterested in a return to state ownership. They were essentially bought off and did not seek to subvert the democratization process (Greskovits 1998: 84). Fourth, in both countries a portion of the old nomenclatura reorganized itself into an effective social democratic political party. These parties have won elections with platforms supporting continued market and democratic reforms.
Xml CB850B/Rose-Ackerman 0 521 84383 9 T1: KOD Alternative Routes to Policy-Making Accountability February 18, 2005 21 been followed. 25 In Poland and Hungary, most formal participation takes the form of advisory committees and tripartite bodies with group representation. The groups represented on the committees generally are fixed by law or by practice, with the groups appointing their own representatives. There is often a clear distinction between professional groups – such as associations of doctors and lawyers – and other interest and lobby groups that promote causes such as environmental protection and women’s rights.
