Service Charters in Spain: Transparency and Citizen Empowerment or Government Marketing?

This article analyses the effects of public service charters. It looks at the use of service charters for improving citizens' trust in government in Anglo-American countries and in countries in continental Europe. Reporting on research on charters in Spain, the author concludes that service charters have shown many public service providers how they can enhance the quality of their services and have been useful tools in modernizing government and increasing citizen trust.