History
The Role of Ombudsman Institutions in Holding Bureaucracies Accountable
Quick fact
The first modern ombudsman was created in Sweden in 1809, and today over 120 countries have national ombudsman offices, despite these institutions having no power to enforce their recommendations.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you receive a wrong government bill and your calls go unanswered. Who can you turn to? An ombudsman is a powerful but often overlooked safety net for citizens facing bureaucratic indifference.