This chapter poses some of the conceptual choices that need to be made in the process of defining accountability, which is not synonymous with either democracy or the rule of law. It analyzes different dimensions of civil society influence on public accountability, ‘unpacking’ accountability politics by recognizing the interaction between local, national, and international arenas. Building on O'Donnell's distinction between vertical and horizontal dimensions of accountability, the chapter emphasizes the mutual inter-dependence and interaction between them.
Keywords: horizontal accountability, unpacking accountability, vertical accountability, O'Donnell, accountability agencies