Does populism affect government transparency? A transnational analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65746/jps43Keywords:
government transparency; populist governance; political accountability; Latin America politics; public policyAbstract
Government transparency is intrinsically linked to governance and accountability and is an essential element for democracy. However, the increasing use of populism by political leaders has raised questions about its impact on transparency. Political leaders often deploy populism as a strategy that can compromise the dissemination of information and weaken the institutions responsible for government oversight. Given this scenario, this study aims to analyze the effects of populist governance on government transparency at the transnational level, in addition to investigating the influence of factors such as economic development, corruption, press freedom, and human development. Employing an explanatory and quantitative research design, the study uses regression analysis on panel data from 27 countries between 2013 and 2021, encompassing 243 observations. The results indicate that Latin America exhibits distinct political, cultural, and economic characteristics compared to other regions, which affects the effectiveness of transparency strategies. Moreover, the study observes that in countries outside Latin America where populists govern, transparency tends to decline. Thus, the main contribution of this study is to emphasize the need to adapt transparency policies to regional differences, considering the effects of populism on governance. Awareness of these dynamics can be decisive for voters’ decision-making and the formulation of more effective public policies.
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