History of Transparency in Politics and Society

Contributions by Jens Ivo Engels Contributions by Frédéric Monier Contributions by Olivier Meuwly Contributions by Silvia Marton Contributions by Alexandra Iancu Contributions by Sandra Zimmermann Contributions by Sjoerd Keulen Contributions by Ronald Kroeze Contributions by Florian Altenhöner Contributions by Martin Mainka Contributions by Harm Kaal Contributions by Vojin Saša Vukadinović Contributions by Eric Dehay Contributions by Natalie Lévy Edited by Jens Ivo Engels Edited by Frédéric Monier

Book cover: History of Transparency in Politics and Society

Extent: 187 pages

Publisher: V&R unipress

Subjects: Social Sciences 

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(August 2020)

ISBN: 9783847111559

6.34 x 9.25 inches

Price: $57.00

In stock

Transparency is considered a prerequisite for good governance, for political participation and democracy. On closer inspection, however, transparency proves to be ambivalent. For complete transparency has not yet been achieved anywhere. Moreover, measures to increase transparency can have the opposite effect and stir up mistrust. The volume aims at elucidating the opportunities and the restrictions of transparency in historical research. It assembles contributions covering European history since the 19th century. The contributors focus on political and cultural history, but include also economic and media history as well as the history of ideas. They analyse publicly debated demands and efforts for transparency, conceived as the access to information or its disclosure.


Today, the demand for transparency is omnipresent. In particular, transparency is considered a prerequisite for good governance, for political participation and democracy. On closer inspection, however, transparency proves to be ambivalent. For complete transparency has not yet been achieved anywhere. Moreover, measures to increase transparency can have the opposite effect and stir up mis-trust. Historians are just beginning to discover this topic. The volume aims at elucidating the opportunities and the restrictions of transparency in historical research. It assembles contributions covering European history since the 19th century. The contributors focus on political and cultural history, but include also economic and media history as well as the history of ideas. They analyse publicly debated demands and efforts for transparency, conceived as the access to information or its disclosure.

Jens Ivo Engels ist Professor für Neuere und Neueste Geschichte an der Technischen Universität Darmstadt. Er forscht über die politische Kultur der Bundesrepublik, politische Korruption in der europäischen Moderne, Monarchie und Kritische Infrastrukturen.

  • Contributions by Jens Ivo Engels
  • Contributions by Frédéric Monier
  • Contributions by Olivier Meuwly
  • Contributions by Silvia Marton
  • Contributions by Alexandra Iancu
  • Contributions by Sandra Zimmermann
  • Contributions by Sjoerd Keulen
  • Contributions by Ronald Kroeze
  • Contributions by Florian Altenhöner
  • Contributions by Martin Mainka
  • Contributions by Harm Kaal
  • Contributions by Vojin Saša Vukadinović
  • Contributions by Eric Dehay
  • Contributions by Natalie Lévy
  • Edited by Jens Ivo Engels
  • Edited by Frédéric Monier