Elisa Mougin (ENS Lyon)

Selective accountability: Visibility and parliamentary behavior in France

Elisa Mougin
ENS Lyon

Coauthors: Tom Buchot (ENS de Lyon) and Charles Louis-Sidois (WU)

Abstract

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 utilization 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.