OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRACY – THE NORWEGIAN MODEL Professor Tom Christensen, University of Oslo Presentation at the 21st Annual Conference of Library and Research Services for Parliaments, Oslo, August 10, 2005

1. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? A. INDIRECT DEMOCRACY – POPULAR MANDATE TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES Election or parliamentary channel PRECONDITIONS FOR POPULAR INFLUENCE THROUGH ELECTIONS: BROAD POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN SELECTING POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES Will secure varied input to the system

CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN ELECTION RESULTS AND REPRESENTATION Representativeness important Varies considerably between presidental, Westminster and non-Westminster system POLITICAL EXECUTIVES ABLE TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES Control of the administrative apparatus Different obstacles to implementation?

B. DIRECT DEMOCRACY REFERENDUMS – WHETHER CONNECTED TO ELECTIONS OR NOT COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THROUGH DIFFERENT CHANNELS Interest groups through corporate channel Lobbying – ad hoc, more single cases INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS DIRECTLY TOWARDS CIVIL SERVICE

2. OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN A DEMOCRACY A. GENERAL FEATURES INFORMATION IS THE CENTRAL ISSUE Freedom of information act Should be objective and easy accessible INFORMATION IS A CRUCIAL PRECONDITION FOR POPULAR PARTICIPATION INFORMATION ALSO CRUCIAL FOR INFLUENCING PEOPLE

B. IN THE ELECTION CHANNEL EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES E-government, online access improves potential for information How much and by whom will this information be consumed? Media important in selecting, defining and discussing information

EASY ACCESS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND REPRESENTATIVES How about their capacity to inform? Will political information be more biased and partisan? What characterize people seeking information? HOW DO PEOPLE USE THE INCREASING VOLUME OF INFORMATION THEY GET?

C. THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS BROAD INFORMATION IMPORTANT FOR REFERENDUMS OPENNESS IMPORTANT FOR INTEGRATED PARTICIPATION FROM INTEREST GROUPS ACCESS AND TRANSPARENCY GIVE LOBBY GROUPS BETTER CONDITIONS TRANSPARENCY IMPORTANT PRECONDITION OF INDIVIDUAL CONTACT

3. A NORWEGIAN MODEL? MORE A SCANDINAVIAN ONE: PARLIAMENT OPEN AND TRANSPARENT Easy to get information, easy to contact political representatives, few obstacles Question hours, scrutiny and investigations STRONG ACCESS FOR INTEREST GROUPS Tight formal collaboration with authorities STRONG MEDIA SCRUTINY

4. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MODERN REFORMS A. MAIN FEATURES OF NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT LESS EMPHASIS ON THE CITIZENSHIP ROLE THE STATE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER Competition and choice MORE FRAGMENTED STATE Less political control from Parliament and political executives

B. EFFECTS FOR OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY OPTIMISTIC VIEW: PUBLIC AUTHORITIES MORE PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED WILL THEREFORE FURTHER More openness and transparency Actively give more information as a basis of choice and evaluation

PESSIMISTIC VIEW: LESS ACCESS AND MORE SECRECY Related to contracts and business secrets MORE DEMANDING FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK, RECEIVE AND HANDLE INFORMATION Information overload, even though peoples’ education and competence is increasing The ones with most social and political resources will prevail, creating biases High ideals problematic to fullfill