[Seminaire CREM] Selective accountability: Visibility and parliamentary behavior in France. - Faculté Des Sciences Economiques

Selective accountability: Visibility and parliamentary behavior in France co-écrit avec Tom Buchot (ENS de Lyon) et Charles Louis-Sidois (Vienna University of Economics & Business)

This article delves into the effects of political monitoring tools and data transparency on accountability and behavior. It studies the emergence of a website called “NosDeputes.fr”, introduced by a French NGO in 2009, providing data on members of the French Parliament to increase transparency about parliamentary behavior. Since its inception, this new online resource has been utilized by journalists, contributing significantly to the proliferation of data journalism in political coverage. Our investigation focuses on how the use of these indicators by the French media influenced the behavior of French MPs between 2007 and 2017. We document a significant increase in parliamentary attendance and interventions following the publication of articles featuring these quantitative measures in the preceding month. Moreover, having demonstrated the responsiveness of quantitative performance metrics to media coverage, the study explores the potential links between quantitative performance and qualitative improvements in parliamentary work. Additionally, it discusses the enduring consequences of accountability measurement on political actions.