Money is a useful lens through which to understand public decision-making and its outcomes. The openness of processes by which public funds are collected, allocated, and spent is an important part of the accountability process for public institutions.

In particular, executive branch accountability to the legislative branch in budgetary matters allows legislators, in the performance of their duties, to examine government actions and change policies, as well as reallocate public resources to obtain better results.

For more information on the aspects related to open budget, see the publication Strengthening Accountability through Fiscal Openness: A Toolkit for Parliamentarians in the Americas and the Caribbean, developed by ParlAmericas, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Democracy, and the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency.