Access to information law as a mechanism for social control over public policies and fighting corruption

Abstract

Consolidation of a state’s democracy derive from the strengthening of participatory social forces in public management. To this end, in the social and political context of Brazil, aiming to establish a per-manent and effective link with the administered society, legal mechanisms have been introduced in recent years that have contributed to bringing State and people closer together: the duty of transparency and the right of access to public information. In this context, the Access to Information Law (LAI) – Law 12,527, of 2011, emerges as a valuable tool for social control over the country’s public policies. Social control emerges from the need for direct monitoring of government actions, which aims to curb corrupt practices and contribute to bringing society closer to the State, opening the opportunity for citizens to oversee the actions of governments, as well as their spending, and to demand good public management. Citizens have the right to intervene in public policies, but they also have a duty to monitor the management progress made by their elected representatives. That said, this study sought to discuss the topic of Public Transpa-rency as a citizen’s right and as a principle that governs Public Administration, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the active participation of citizens in overseeing public management and resources, and of putting into practice social control actions that reflect on several levels for the improvement of public admi-nistration and, consequently, of life in society. LAI was a fundamental historical milestone for strengthening social control, becoming one of the main tools for exercising citizenship today.