Governance and Accountability in Reshaping Public Services: Open Challenges and Wicked Problems of the 21st Century

Issues of accountability are ubiquitous in public governance. Accountability connects with other concerns like legitimacy, power, citizen engagement, and new modes of service production. These issues and connections become all the more poignant given the evolving landscape of public services amidst the backdrop of 21st- century poly-crises. The pieces in this special issue explore these dynamics, particularly concerning shifting governing modes, contractual arrangements, performance management, and digitalization. New service delivery models introduce complexities beyond efficiency, impacting power dynamics and stakeholder interests. In this introductory piece, the editors preview these issues, highlight the enduring questions from the literature informing this special issue, and summarize the 14 pieces. The editors end by reflecting on accountability's importance through discussions of accountability for neoliberalism and performance measurement, contracting out, liberty, democracy, social equity, and human-centered public governance.