Transparency in Public Affairs as a Means of Gaining Public Trust with Emphasis on Iran's Legal System

Transparency is considered as an  important principle of good governance in many countries. Transparency in public affairs means the free flow of information about public affairs and the availability of such information to all. Creating transparency in public affairs can achieve different goals, including increasing public trust in the government. To be sure, it would be difficult to advance a country's plans without the assistance and cooperation of the people and non-governmental organizations. On the other hand, by increasing public engagement in government plans as well as building trust between government and citizens, the government will face fewer challenges. Given these points, the importance of discussing public trust and the need for promoting it, is clear. This paper, while emphasizing the importance of public trust, will show the impact of transparency on gaining and promoting public trust. Furthermore, the place of transparency in the Iranian legal system will be discussed. To this end, while Iranian laws and regulations on transparency are briefly reviewed, the Bill on the Act on Transparency will be evaluated insofar as it is seen as the most important step in creating public transparency in terms of gaining public trust.