Dimensions of Authority in Oversight Agencies: American and Australian Comparisons |
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Authors: | Robin J. Kempf Adam Graycar |
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Affiliation: | 1. John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Department of Public Management, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA;2. School of Social &3. Policy Studies, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia |
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Abstract: | Fraud, waste, and abuse damage public administration. Responding involves law enforcement and best practice administration. Many jurisdictions create watchdog agencies to perform this role. A model, which includes seven dimensions of jurisdiction and authority that policymakers should consider when creating an oversight entity, is presented. The model goes beyond the simple functional jurisdiction, i.e., who is overseen and how oversight occurs. Four subnational watchdog agencies in two countries are examined to demonstrate the trade-offs that occur in each dimension when the agencies are designed. This analysis demonstrates there are significant balancing issues at stake, which impact watchdog effectiveness. |
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Keywords: | Agency design anticorruption government accountability oversight |
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