Is accountability possible in global environmental governance? The purpose ofthis thesis is to examine if accountability is possible in global environmental governance. From an accountability perspective the thesis tries to illuminate global environmental governance. An investigation about the conceptaccountability is made and the thesis also illuminates the possible problems that exist in global environmental governance which exist of such a large amounts of different and often private actors. By investigating and examine the concept of accountability from different aspects and by using Global Compact as a example of global environmental governance the thesis try to answer if accountability actually exist in global environmental governance and in what way it is possible to demand accountability.

This thesis explores the changing prerequisites for accountability in terms of Swedish arms export. The study aims to uncover what has happened with the conditions for accountability in Sweden since the responsibility for export control was transferred from the government to the public administration. By investigating how the term ?accountability? has been used in the literature of democratic theory, an abstract ideal model is being created.  Comparing the changed structural arrangements, with each other and the ideal model, it is concluded that the prerequisites for accountability now seems to be in a worse state than they were before..

AbstractTitel: Diagnosing accountability, a study of accountability of UNT and DN?s medical journalism  ( Diagnos av ansvarstagande, en studie av accountability inom DN och UNT:s medicinjournalistik)Number of pages: 45 (59 including enclosures)Author: Alexandra JohanssonTutor: Göran SvenssonCourse: Media and Communication studies C Period: Fall 2008 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala UniversityPurpose/Aim: To evaluate the quality of medical journalism in DN and UNT according to the theories of accountability and responsibility in the media.Material/Methods: The materials and methods used in this thesis are 14 articles from DN and 14 articles from UNT that have been analyzed according to the criterion set forth by Media Doctors, an Australian media accountability system.Main Results: The results showed that DN scored an average of 57% ?satisfactory? and UNT scored an average of 52% ?satisfactory? of Media Doctors rating scale. Strengths were an educational tone and an insightful review of the newest findings in the scientific community. Weaknesses were poor transparency and a tendency to neglect full disclosure of the scientific findings and sources. Focus was also show to be on research and not on information for potential patients.

Internet and media have led to companies' operations becoming more visible and transparent to the public during the 21st century. Several notable corporate scandals have led to society placing greater demands on businesses to assume more accountability for their actions. This study aims to examine and develop existing research regarding accountability, by adding dimensions of time and space. More specifically, the study examines the extent to which stakeholders hold corporations accountable after the revelation of an ethical corporate scandal, through a qualitative case study on a pending lawsuit against the Swedish corporation Boliden. Our theory is based on John Roberts' (1991) research presented in the article "The Possibilities of Accountability" and Martin Messner's (2009) research presented in the article "The Limits of Accountability".

This thesis consists of three parts: one normative, one empirical and one constructive, with the intention to explore the enforcement of accountability in megaprojects.The thesis aims to evaluate the level of accountability in the policy process of the European Spallation Source, ESS between 1990 and 2008. In order to make a comparison possible, a norm is created concerning how a policy process should be designed, with primary focus on openness and participation, to make enforcement of accountability possible. The policy process of the ESS is compared with this norm with the purpose of discovering whether the process contains elements that assure enforcement of accountability. After the comparison is done, it is possible to formulate constructive proposals about how the enforcement of accountability can be improved.The thesis also explores how networks, consisting of actors with particular resources, surrounding the ESS-project affects the form of the policy process, e.g. in shaping the social construction of the aim and purpose of the project.

Much attention has been directed to Charity Foundations and how they use the donations given to them. Donators and external organisations put pressure on and evaluate the performance of Charity Foundations. The purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of how Charity Foundations handle the pressure from external parties through a qualitative case study of one Swedish Charity Foundation. The most important external factors have been identified and the accountability relationships between each party and the Charity Foundation have been examined. The empirical material was collected through semi-structured interviews and from written sources.

AbstractIn this bachelor thesis I discuss and analyse the current situation of the Venezuelan democracy. By using a theoretical framework based on the theory of horizontal accountability, I focus on the interaction between different institutions and branches within the state of Venezuela. The analysis focuses on the strenghts and flaws of the newly accepted constitution, and to what extent the institutions of checks and balances remain true to the laws and the constitution of 1999. My conclusions are that in terms of vertical accountability, the Chávez-regime acknowledges a wide popular support for their governmental actions. In contrast, the incumbent administration shows almost no respect for horizontal accountability.

The aim of this study is to illuminate and discuss a case of political steering, specifically Managment-By-Objectives (MBO) in Swedish municipalities, from a democratic perspective. The essay examines a discrepancy between MBO in the Swedish municipalities and democratic theory.To fulfil the aim of the study one leading politician and one leading civil servant from five municipalities have been interviewed on this matter. This material is discussed in the light of a democratic theory constructed specifically for this essay. The democratic theory consists of three main democratic values in the democratic process: debate, transparence and the ability to demand political accountability.The main conclusion is that there is a contradiction in the use of MBO and the democratic values of debate, transparence and the ability to demand political accountability. MBO has resulted in a lack of debate and transparency and furthermore, it has made it increasingly more difficult to demand political accountability..

Revisorns oberoende har diskuterats lika länge som revisionen funnits i Sverige. Finansiella skandaler driver på diskussionen om revisorns oberoende och diskussionen drogs upp ytterligare efter Enron-skandalen i USA. Som revisor kan man ställas inför dilemman som kan hota oberoendet. När revisorer ställs inför dilemman måste de avgöra hur de ska hantera dessa situationer för att vara oberoende. Syftet med uppsatsen var att få konkreta situationer beskrivna där revisorer kan ställas inför dilemman rörande oberoendet, samt att skapa förståelse för hur man som revisor kan hantera oberoendeproblematiken.

What is an economic crime? Who is an economic criminal? How do we speak of the phenomenon and what does they way we speak mean? The immediate result of the study is that there is a stereotype image of the economic criminal that is produced within peoples speech. This image contains characteristics that bring the subject, the economic criminal, far away from the traditional crime subject, and brings it closer to a non-criminal subject. This motion render possible that economic criminals can talk of themselves as ?not bad people?, ?normal? and ?like everyone else?.

This paper aims to broaden the discussion on how press freedom can be a powerful tool in the war on corruption. Previous studies have shown a significant relationship between more press freedom and less corruption, it also shows that the causal link runs from press freedom to corruption and not the other way around. There are quite a few studies on the impact of a free press on corruption and therefore there is a lot more to be published on this issue.This paper looks at press freedom as one of the most important parts of a democratic society and that it plays a vital role in reducing corruption as both an informant on key issues and also as a ?watchdog? on society. But press freedom cannot be seen as an ?easy fix? in a country or the international community's struggle to reduce corruption.

The aim of this thesis is to explain what actions Sweden and the international communities have been taking in terms of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in order to realize the Programme of Action from the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo 1994. In a theoretical perspective, donor countries and multilateral organizations are seen as interacting actors involved in global development cooperation. Through applying a human rights approach I will show shortages in terms of supplies to contraception, international agreement on the issue of safe abortions and a new era that comes with new rules for aid and development cooperation. In addition, for human rights to be realized there is the feature of accountability. Without accountability, SRHR cannot be fully respected, guaranteed and protected.

Psychological research concerning correction of stereotypes has mainly focused on how individuals adjust their negative attitude towards the out-group due to the apprehension of appearing prejudiced in front of out-grouprepresentatives. This study though, does not deal with estimations of the qualities of the out-group; it deals with estimations of the qualities of the in-group. Does Swedes correct their estimations of their own group when the experiment leader is of another ethnicity and has a different colour of skin? The participants were students at Halmstad Högskola and they were all born and raised in Sweden. Half the participants got to meet a Swedish born, white skinned experiment leader, whereas the other group got to meet an African born, dark skinned experiment leader.

This bachelor thesis examines the relation between countries? degree of economic freedom and their economic performance. Economic freedom as a concept is defined as the degree of market economy within a nation.The variable of measure that is used is the Frasier institute Economic freedom of the world index (EFI). The paper is built upon the Solow growth model and is extended by incorporation of additional variables; among which of course economic freedom. The study is performed through regression analysis, based on the neoclassical model both on rich countries, poor countries and on all investigated countries.Two investigations are performed: i) the impact from economic freedom on countries level of GDP per capita and ii) the impact from economic freedom on the growth rate in GDP per capita.The finding is that economic freedom can be seen as a relevant determinant of differences in GDP per capita growth rates between nations.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka huruvida svensk press behöver tydligare riktlinjer för hur klander från Pressens opinionsnämnd, PON, ska publiceras, både i papperstidningar och på nätet. Syftet innefattar också att försöka definiera den mest lämpade utformningen för lättillgängliga och etiskt korrekta publiceringar av nämndens uttalanden. Kvalitativa professionsintervjuer med utgivare, medieforskare samt Allmänhetens pressombudsman, PO, analyseras utifrån teorier om pressetisk självsanering och begreppet media accountability. Resultatet visar att PON:s uttalanden är alldeles för långa och otympligt utformade för att tydliga publiceringar ska vara möjliga. Nämndens riktlinjer är förlegade och saknar förankring i det rådande medieklimatet.