Has the modern world become more transparent? Or is transparency simply a lure? Bureaucratic procedures such as audits and performance monitoring mechanisms may conceal more than they reveal…
This virtual issue of Political and Legal Anthropology Review (PoLAR) published in November 2012 analyzes transparency as a governance principle in practice and illuminates the legalistic and political contours that inform expectations of transparency. In addition to articles published in PoLAR, all of which are free to access through August 15th, this issue includes an open-access essay on the politics of transparency in Guatemala by 2012 APLA Student Paper Prize winner Rachel Dotson and postscripts written by authors reflecting on developments since the original publication of their articles in PoLAR. Andrea Ballestero offers an introduction to the issue, while Kregg Hetherington provides a critical commentary.
