Unlocking Democracy: The Power of Information in Polarized Times

The public’s right to access government-held information is at the forefront of debates on democratic governance. Most countries around the world have enacted access to information (ATI) or freedom of information (FOI) laws, designed to enhance government transparency and accountability. However, the effectiveness of such legislation remains a subject of ongoing debate. This panel seeks to privilege political science perspectives in understanding the complexities surrounding information rights in contemporary governance and their implications for democracy.
This panel will examine these dynamics through the following lenses, among others:
• How can research on access to information contribute to understanding and resisting autocratization in polarized societies? What role does transparency play in either mitigating or exacerbating political polarization, and how can ATI laws be leveraged to safeguard democratic institutions in the face of rising authoritarian tendencies?
• How do political and judicial actors influence the effectiveness of ATI laws? What are the implications of their roles for government transparency and public trust?
• What barriers exist to accessing information, and how do different oversight models shape perceptions of accountability?
• What methodological approaches are most effective in studying ATI systems? How can researchers navigate the complexities of comparing the effectiveness of ATI laws across different political and legal contexts?
• How do various countries address the right to information? What can be learned from cross-national comparisons of ATI systems? In what ways do political culture, legal frameworks, and historical contexts influence the effectiveness and public perception of ATI laws across different countries?