Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of TransparencyGovernments in recent decades have employed public disclosure strategies to reduce risks, improve public and private goods and services, and reduce injustice. In the United States, these targeted transparency policies include financial securities disclosures, nutritional labels, school report cards, automobile rollover rankings, and sexual offender registries. They constitute a light-handed approach to governance that empowers citizens. However, as Full Disclosure shows these policies are frequently ineffective or counterproductive. Based on a comparative analysis of eighteen major policies, the authors suggest that transparency policies often produce information that is incomplete, incomprehensible, or irrelevant to the consumers, investors, workers, and community residents who could benefit from them. Sometimes transparency fails because those who are threatened by it form political coalitions to limit or distort information. To be successful, transparency policies must place the needs of ordinary citizens at centre stage and produce information that informs their everyday choices. |
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Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency Archon Fung,Mary Graham,David Weil Limited preview - 2007 |
Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency Archon Fung,Mary Graham,David Weil No preview available - 2007 |
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accounting standards alert allergens American annual approved Association auto banks campaign finance disclosure candidates chemical Committee community reinvestment Community Reinvestment Act companies Congress contain genetically modified contamination costs countries covered employers create incentives disclosure requirements disclosure rules disclosure system drinking water Education election enforce federal Federal Election Commission financial reporting funding genetically modified crops genetically modified foods George W Government Accountability Office grade hazardous Homeland Security hospital Improve Public increased industry infectious diseases Internet investors issue loan manufacturers markets medical errors medical mistakes Megan's Law minimal mortgage lending notification officials organizations OSHA percent plant closings political public disclosure public health Reduce Risks reform remained response restaurant hygiene right-to-know safety school report cards Senate sex offenders soft money specific star ratings stock exchanges surveillance targeted transparency threat level toxic pollution transparency system union members United violations warning workers workplaces