Abstract:
The controversy surrounding the Independent Regulatory Agencies (IRA) has from the
outset revolved around the idea of a significant failure to meet democratic requirements. For
instance, the creation of the IRA took place in a very specific context leaving few avenues
to express democratic concerns. These independent public authorities were created with aim
of circumventing the hierarchical power of the executive branch and Parliaments, too, had
no more control over their action or their functioning. However, more current reflections
on the concept of democracy make it possible to envisage a reconciliation between IRA
and democratic principles through the use of randomly selected citizen councils to hold
independent public authorities accountable and scrutinize their important decisions. In fact,
these councils will play a crucial role in preventing the capture of the IRA by powerful
private interests and the plutocrats who run the big corporations.