Democratic Control of Intelligence: Institutions of Control and their Function

The article summarizes basic theoretical approaches to the study of democracy and intelligence oversight. The author aims to provide a complex view on the topic of regulating intelligence institutions in a democracy. First, it is necessary to explain some basic questions like why we need extra measures to monitor intelligence agencies. Then we must separately identify two different areas of control: management and oversight. The author examines the oversight and management functions of particular institutional levels of control: internal, governmental, legislative, judicial, extra and societal level. Also considered are the special capabilities of regulatory bodies stemming from their different positions in the state institutional system. The text concludes with a catalog of intelligence failures and abuses, linking them with suitable monitoring bodies to prevent such occurences .