THEORY OF STATE AND LAW

Responsibility of public authorities for the negative results of their activities: theory and practice

Abstract

The article analyzes theoretical and practical aspects of the responsibility of public authorities for negative outcomes of their activities in the context of transformation of modern state regimes. The relationship between public trust and responsibility of public authorities is examined as a key attribute of a democratic state system. Constitutional mechanisms for holding high-ranking state officials accountable, the evolution of the institution of presidency in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and problems of implementing responsibility in post-Soviet states are explored. It is concluded that the absence of effective political and legal accountability mechanisms reduces citizens’ trust in public authorities and hinders the development of a genuinely democratic regime.