[2017 Study Report on Conditions for Presidential Success] Strategies for Promoting an Open Government to Enhance Government Trust

Abstract

Public trust in government significantly impacts the effectiveness of socio-economic activities and is also crucial for the effectiveness of government policies. The levels of socio-economic change and development vary across countries due to their unique situations and environments. Particularly, socio-economic activities of individuals and corporations (such as development and investment for the future) are based on predictability and fairness in actions and outcomes, making the social environment that guarantees these factors highly important. While social environments are influenced by various variables stemming from the decisions of diverse domestic and international stakeholders, the greater the extent to which these variables can be controlled and become predictable, the more the risks associated with individual and corporate socio-economic activities will be minimized, thereby fostering active investment and consumption for growth. Therefore, the role of government, which regulates and promotes the diverse activities of individuals and corporations, is central to such an environment, and when this role is fair and predictable, national socio-economic change and development can be maximized. Policy recommendations for the government to pursue an open government that enhances public trust are as follows: First, a control tower with the capacity for strong leadership must be designated, and commensurate personnel must be allocated to effectively carry out its assigned tasks. Second, a concrete action plan for an open government must be developed, and a reasonable timeframe should be provided for its implementation to ensure it aligns with the values of an open government. Third, the entire process of promoting an open government, from the drafting of the plan to its implementation and outcomes, must be codified. Fourth, continuous education is necessary for public officials regarding the importance of government trust and how procedural openness, transparency, and accountability play crucial roles in fostering it. Fifth, the implementing system for promoting an open government and the evaluation system for its performance must be separated and operate independently. Finally, regular public opinion surveys should be conducted to directly measure the outcomes of efforts to promote an open government, and the results must be disclosed to the public without alteration.

Body

"Public trust in government significantly impacts the effectiveness of socio-economic activities and is also crucial for the effectiveness of government policies."

"Government trust is an output of the government's capacity to perform its duties and fulfill its moral obligations."

"To become an open government, information accessibility, citizen participation, public accountability, and technology and innovation for openness and responsibility must be enhanced."

"The scope of information accessibility includes not only information about government activities but also information held by the government. For example, environmental pollution data held by the government, while not directly an area of government activity, falls within the scope of information accessibility when disclosed."

"The government's policy-making process must be shared with all public stakeholders. When the government or its delegated authorities lead the process through forums, the operational method inevitably becomes top-down."

"Government actors' actions must be justifiable through well-established laws, regulations, and systems; they must respond to criticisms and necessary conditions raised, and accept responsibility when laws and commitments are not met. For a commitment to be consistent with the core objectives of an 'open government' and 'clearly relevant,' it must include content directed at the public, not just a system that enhances internal accountability."

"Not all e-government reforms enhance government openness. E-government commitments must clearly articulate measures that promote information disclosure, public participation, or public accountability, or a combination thereof."

Author

Kim Jae-ilProfessor of Public Administration, Dankook University. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy from Syracuse University, USA. His major works include "Evaluation of Healthcare Policy for Migrants in Korea," "Exploration and Application of Socio-Economic Cost Items According to the Expansion of Public Conflict Issues in Local Governments," and "A Comparative Study of Korea and Advanced Social Integration Countries Using the Migrant Integration Policy Index."