Originally Posted by
Beelzebubalicious
Well, USAID is using it in terms of "accountability covenants" between civil society and government, the key definition being binding relationships where each side holds the other accountable. This starts with both sides understanding each others role and responsibility in a democratic society, something which takes years to develop. In many countries I've worked in, there's a huge level of distrust on both sides, a sense of entitlement on the citizen side (high expectations and frustration) and on the government side, the perspective that citizens don't know best, should not be involved and that government should make decisions themselves.