Transparency and citizen support for public agencies: The case of foreign aid

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Heinzel, Mirko; Reinsberg, Bernhard; Swedlund, Haley
• 署名单位: University of Glasgow; University of Cambridge; Radboud University Nijmegen
• 刊物名称: GOVERNANCE-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POLICY ADMINISTRATION AND INSTITUTIONS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0952-1895
• DOI: 10.1111/gove.12863
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: allocation; donors; KNOWLEDGE; attitudes; need; end

摘要

Can public agencies boost support for their mandate by being more transparent? We examine this important question in the context of foreign aid. Skepticism about foreign aid spending is common among citizens. This article argues that bilateral aid agencies can increase support for foreign aid by enhancing transparency. The article presents findings from three survey experiments involving a representative sample of 2058 British citizens, as well as observational data at the cross-national level. The results suggest that transparency reforms are among the most effective institutional interventions for increasing public support. They also suggest that transparency is most effective at increasing public support amongst those who are initially more skeptical of aid and the civil service. Finally, they suggest that citizens do not have strong preferences about the type of information disclosed. They reward all types of transparency.