Should the Cyber CZAR be a politician?

The issue with holding a politician, or someone appointed by one, accountable is that the appointment must be approved by congress.  Members of congress seek out appointees that will find the issues they want fixed and then let the politicians get credit on the next election cycle. The oversight and accountability are constrained by the degree to which politicians can compromise on competing interests with constituents, and the ability to find problems to solve (Roberts, & Dull, 2013).

Politicians, by and large, seek reelection by claiming credit for good government performance and claiming to fi x public problems or government failures. The oversight function in the United States is constrained by the degree to which it is a compromise among politicians’ competing interests in expert performance by agencies, benefits for constituents, and the ability to find problems to solve (and for which to receive credit).

References

Roberts, P., & Dull, M. (2013). Guarding the guardians: Oversight appointees and the search for accountability in U.S. federal agencies. Journal of Policy History, 25(2), 207-239. doi:10.1017/S0898030613000031