Authors

• Groop, Catharina (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Political Science)

Keywords

accountability, bureaucracy, corruption, crime, democracy, electoral systems, federalism, financial crimes, international organizations, parliamentary systems, party politics, political institutions, political parties, political power, politics, social influence, unitary state

Abstract

The study investigated views on accountability and the connection between corruption and political institutions in Botswana and Austria. The data consist of transcriptions and notes of interviews conducted in English. The interviewees represented different influential political bodies and actors studying or monitoring such bodies. These bodies and actors include, for example, Transparency International, the UN, the Office of the President, the Office of the Ombudsman and universities.

The interview questions charted views on the prevailing government structure, power and division of powers, accountability, electoral system, bureaucracy and corruption. There was a separate set of questions tailored for each country, but the main themes were mostly the same.

Some of the interviews have been transcribed more precisely than the others and for some interviews only notes exist. The interviews conducted in Austria have mostly been transcribed verbatim from recordings. The interviews conducted in Botswana were not recorded and have therefore been transcribed non-verbatim from notes made during the interviews.