Municipal Accountability in the American Age of Reform

Rezensionen / Stimmen

"When we demand so much of our political leaders, how timely it is to explore the issue of accountability. David Ress does this with deft nuance and significant detail. Accountability is not a flat characteristic of democracy but a product in tension, that responds to demands, changes with circumstances, adapts, is challenged and defended and emerges triumphant. David Ress tells the story of municipal accountability through the exploration of several key examples. He asks us to question the relationship between the governed and those who govern. What an important story it is and what an important question to ask." (Jennifer Clark, Head of School, School of Humanities, University of Adelaide, Australia)

"While accessing government records often is now as easy as clicking on a link, this fascinating new study by award-winning journalist Dave Ress reminds us how hard it once was to pry information out of the State Capitol or the nearby City Hall. In a compelling report that takes readers from New York City's Tammany Hall to government outposts on the prairies, we learn of the difficult struggles to ensure the public's right to access what we know now as public information. It's a lively read of gadflies and foot-dragging governments, how what citizens today take for granted actually came to pass." (Stephen Famsworth, Professor and Director, Center for Leadership and Media Studies, University of Mary Washington, USA)