Pathologies of Accountability: ICANN and the Challenge of "Multiple Accountabilities Disorder" |
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| Authors: | Jonathan GS Koppell |
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| Affiliation: | Jonathan GS Koppell;is an assistant professor of politics, policy, and organization at the Yale School of Management. His recent book, The Politics of Quasi-Government (Cambridge University Press), considers the implications of delegating government functions to hybrid organizations such as government-sponsored enterprises and government corporations. His current work focuses on the development of transnational governance institutions, pseudo-governmental entities with authority and responsibility that span political boundaries. He holds a doctorate in political science from Berkeley. E-mail: . |
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| Abstract: | Accountability is a core concept of public administration, yet disagreement about its meaning is masked by consensus on its importance and desirability. This article proposes a five-part typology of accountability conceptions. Transparency, liability, controllability, responsibility, and responsiveness are defined as distinct dimensions of accountability, providing an improvement on the current state of conceptual fuzziness. The typology provides a vocabulary for the core argument: that conflicting expectations borne of disparate conceptions of accountability undermine organizational effectiveness. This phenomenon—labeled multiple accountabilities disorder—is illustrated with a case study. ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a nascent organization charged with administering the Domain Name System, the Internet's address directory. In its four-year history, ICANN has been the object of much criticism. Conflicting accountability expectations have been a source of difficulty for ICANN's leaders as they have steered the organization through its early years. |
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