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Laura Creighton's avatar

As a practical matter, you may want a different word than 'accountability'. The reason I like the expression 'high trust' and dislike 'high accountability' is that once people start talking about accountability, what we end up with is a system whereby the usual suspects are scapegoated and

take the blame. This I know is not what you want. But the thing that erodes trust the most in my experience is discovering that people have lied to you, most especially if they did so as part of a cover-up. But when you investigate why cover-ups happen, you often find it is to hide the most minor of transgressions. People do not feel free to admit the most inconsequential of sins because they think the accountability police will unleash all sorts of hell upon them. The accountability police is disproportionately formed of people who love humiliating others and making them suffer -- it is why

they sign up for such things.

So, if you want real accountability the first thing you may need to do excuse such people from your process. This has turned out to be very difficult to implement in practice. Teaching people how to admit minor wrong doing and have it not matter very much is a hard lesson, especially if you do not wish to instead teach 'the well connected people can get away with anything' which is a different serious risk.

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EB-Ch's avatar

I suggest that all people elected or selected to a high authority position must sign and make public a Negative Confession, both at the end of their mandate and every time they are reelected or reappointed. Read https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Negative_Confession/

Arnold, if you like the idea, please develop it.

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