Popular Financial Reports as Fiscal Transparency Mechanisms: An Assessment Using the Fiscal Transparency Index for the Citizen User

• In Event: Communication and Transparency in Government

Abstract

Popular financial reports (PFRs) are intended to increase transparency by providing financial information to a non-technical, citizen audience. We examine the extent to which PFRs are meeting the goal of transparency by developing a 23-criteria fiscal transparency index for the citizen user and applying it to a sample of PFRs (popular annual financial reports and citizen-centric reports) issued by local governments in the U.S. These criteria are organized into five areas: comprehension, access, financials, appearance, and community-focused. The analysis finds that, while there are areas for improvement, the PFRs rated highest in the access and appearance criteria.

Authors

• Meagan Jordan, Old Dominion University

• Juita-Elena Wie Yusuf, Old Dominion University

• Melanie Berman, Winrock International

• Casey Gilchrist, Old Dominion University

• Meagan M Jordan, Old Dominion University