Public accountability

Public accountability ensures that state power is exercised transparently, lawfully, and responsibly. It operates through several mechanisms: judicial review, parliamentary oversight, audit and financial control, administrative supervision, access to information, reason-giving, elections, and media scrutiny. In Switzerland, federalism and direct democracy add important accountability channels at federal, cantonal, and communal levels. The concept does not require every decision to be popular, but it requires officials and institutions to explain, document, and defend the legality and propriety of their conduct.