Placebo scrutiny? Far-right extremism and intelligence accountability in Germany

Hillebrand, Claudia 2019. Placebo scrutiny? Far-right extremism and intelligence accountability in Germany. Intelligence and National Security 34 (1) , pp. 38-61. 10.1080/02684527.2018.1540175

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Abstract

The post-9/11 era has seen a proliferation of special, or one-off parliamentary inquiries into intelligence. This article examines the question of what quality such inquiries can achieve, exploring the scandal surrounding the case of the German far-right terrorist group National Socialist Underground (NSU). The article introduces a theoretical framework, with remit, rigor and reception as the key pillars of analysis. While special inquiries are often seen as a way of overcoming imperfections of the traditional accountability system, they can also create a placebo effect – an illusion of accountability which allows intelligence services to go uncontrolled under a blanket of democracy.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIR)
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	0268-4527
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	26 November 2018
Date of Acceptance:	22 October 2018
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2021 09:57
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/116913

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