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Governments worldwide have introduced transparency policies and disclosure requirements, so that citizens can hold officials accountable for their actions and fulfill their role as "watchdogs" of the state. In the long term, this should improve trust in government and the efficiency of public spending and legitimize government by mitigating potential information asymmetries between citizens and the government. Therefore, if adequate mechanisms that empower citizens to increase government transparency and accountability of public officials are properly stipulated in the law, do citizens also perceive it that way? Public perceptions of decision-making processes and government activities are crucial for government policy-making because citizens are the ultimate evaluators of policy outcomes. Thus, this study examines whether institutionalized government transparency reaches citizens and positively affects citizens' perceptions of government transparency. Using individual-level data from the European Social Survey (ESS) and country-level data from the European Public Accountability Mechanisms Dataset (EuroPAM), we analyze the impact of five accountability indicators on citizens' perceptions of transparency in 28 European countries. Using the large-N sample data from the ESS, we control for socio-demographic variables and thus also shed light on covariates of citizens' perceptions of transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased implementation of transparency policies and freedom of information (FOI) laws should allow citizens to gain access to government information. While some public organizations already proactively publish information on open data portals or on their web pages, citizens are also granted the right to send individual information requests to public bodies directly. Organizations bound by FOI are obliged to respond to these requests. In addition to direct communication channels (post, email, or social media), citizens can request the desired information via digital intermediaries such as FOI platforms. These digital platforms are usually hosted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which forward information requests to the responsible authority, thereby providing a low-threshold way for citizens to engage with public organizations. This study explores the specific role of FOI platforms in strengthening transparency and the exchange of demand and supply of government information. By drawing on intermediation theory and principal-agency theory, the study shows the potential of FOI platforms for processing information requests and reducing information asymmetries between government and citizens. In the frame of a descriptive single case study, data from a German FOI platform is analyzed. Looking at German data is especially valuable as FOI is not regulated at the federal level, but differs from state to state (Länder). Under this premise, investigating information demand and supply via online platforms can not only shed light on overall FOI use behavior and public organization's responsiveness, but also show how platforms can foster more efficient citizen-state interaction and information exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]