Accountability under populism and a dramatized environment: Do organizational transparency and policy meaningfulness matter?

Abstract

This study examines how two environmental conditions—perceived populism of the public and media attention—and two institutional conditions—transparency and policy meaningfulness—shape Chengguan officers’ felt accountability within a Chinese regulatory context. The findings reveal that environmental conditions do not directly influence street-level bureaucrats’ (SLBs) perceptions of accountability but instead exert their effects through institutional conditions. Specifically, Chengguan officers’ perceptions of public populism negatively affect their felt accountability via diminished policy meaningfulness, whereas media attention positively enhances their felt accountability through increased transparency. These findings underscore the importance of institutional conditions in mitigating the potential negative effects of populism and dramatized environments on SLBs’ felt accountability. By highlighting the intermediary role of institutional conditions, this study contributes to the field of public administration by offering insights into the mechanisms shaping SLBs’ perceptions of accountability.