Freedom of Information -- Impact on the Federal Bureaucracy.
Abstract
If government is to be truly of, by, and for the people, the people must know in detail the activities of government. Nothing so diminishes democracy as secrecy. The maximum participation of the citizenry in affairs of state, is meaningful only with an informed public. Public Law 89-487 is the product of prolonged deliberation. It reflects the balancing of competing principles within our democratic order. It is not a mere recodification of existing practices in records management and in providing individual access to government documents. Nor is it a mere statement of objectives or an expression of intent. Rather this statute imposes on the Executive Branch an affirmative obligation to adopt new standards and practices for publication and availability of information. It leaves no doubt that disclosure is a transcendent goal, yielding only to such compelling considerations as those provided for in the exemptions of the act.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 23, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA017111
Entities
People
- John H. Labarrie
Organizations
- United States Army War College