Local Government Post-Mortems

Whenever someone dies in a village in Bangladesh, Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a health charity, holds a public post-mortem, according to an article in the July 7, 2007 issue of the Economist. 'The aim is not to blame or indict per se'bare-knuckled confrontation would alienate the government'but to remind public servants that someone is watching them, and that the negligent will be named and shamed.'

In the United States, when people want to do a public post-mortem involving local government decisions, more often than not public officials say, 'Let's put it behind us.' No one likes to be reminded that he's being watched. Which is why people fall for this line so often, because it touches their own lives and feelings.