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Revisiting Responsibility Attribution within Multilevel Governments: The Role of Information

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Herrero-Alcalde

    (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia)

  • José Manuel Tránchez Martín

    (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia)

  • María Goenaga Ruiz de Zuazu

    (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Abstract

Recent research has shown that citizens living in decentralized countries struggle to identify which level of government is designing and implementing public policies, thus hindering the due accountabil¬ity process of democracy. This paper contributes to the literature on the determinants of citizens´ re¬sponsibility attribution by analyzing the Spanish case. A novel methodological approach is used by separately analyzing those citizens who fail to identify the competent level of government and those who did not even give an answer. Besides, two novel hypotheses are tested regarding the process by which information is transmitted to and absorbed by citizens: the impact of regional media and the territorial group bias. After confirming that the methodological strategy is correct, we find strong evi¬dence that the existence of regional media helps responsibility attribution, thus fostering accountabil¬ity; while co-official languages, used as a proxy of a group bias, hamper the process by which citizens identify the competent level of government.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Herrero-Alcalde & José Manuel Tránchez Martín & María Goenaga Ruiz de Zuazu, 2018. "Revisiting Responsibility Attribution within Multilevel Governments: The Role of Information," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 226(3), pages 37-58, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:hpe:journl:y:2018:v:226:i:3:p:37-58
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fred Cutler, 2004. "Government Responsibility and Electoral Accountability in Federations," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 34(2), pages 19-38, Spring.
    2. Thomas J. Rudolph, 2003. "Who's Responsible for the Economy? The Formation and Consequences of Responsibility Attributions," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(4), pages 698-713, October.
    3. Saundra Schneider, 2008. "Who's to Blame? (Mis) perceptions of the Intergovernmental Response to Disasters," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 38(4), pages 715-738, Fall.
    4. Lago-Peñas, Santiago & Lago-Peñas, Ignacio, 2013. "La atribución de responsabilidades políticas en Estados descentralizados [The atribution of political responsibilities in decentralized countries]," MPRA Paper 45045, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Cherie D. Maestas & Lonna Rae Atkeson & Thomas Croom & Lisa A. Bryant, 2008. "Shifting the Blame: Federalism, Media, and Public Assignment of Blame Following Hurricane Katrina," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 38(4), pages 609-632, Fall.
    6. Julio López Laborda & Fernando Rodrigo, 2012. "¿Por qué los españoles son (moderadamente) autonomistas? Las ganancias regionales de eficiencia y la preferencia por la autonomía," EKONOMIAZ. Revista vasca de Economía, Gobierno Vasco / Eusko Jaurlaritza / Basque Government, vol. 81(03), pages 63-82.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Visibility; responsibility attribution; decentralization; regional governments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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