It’s time to apply the Freedom of Information Act to the legislative branch
This post was written by Daniel Schuman for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. The Freedom of Information Act is a cornerstone of an open and accountable government. It is time for that law to be extended to legislative branch support…
Read MoreFOIA and the Invigoration of Public Interest Groups
This post was written by Bernard W. Bell for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. The Freedom of Information Act has had transformational impacts. This short essay focuses on one — FOIA’s invigoration of public interest groups. Elections play a critical…
Read MoreThe Case For Applying AI to FOIA Processing: How Does Access To Government Records Work When An Agency Holds Hundreds of Millions of Emails?
This post was written by Jason R. Baron for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. Almost 30 years before the 1966 enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, the National Archives opened a reading room to the public for the purpose…
Read MoreHow declassification mechanisms and FOIA have ensured vital transparency in the history of American foreign policy
This post was written by Lauren Harper for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. Successful declassification initiatives play an outsized role in promoting America’s foreign policy objectives. The reverse is also true; overclassification undermines both critical national security and democratic interests.…
Read MoreStrengthening FOIA: Time for teeth
This post was written by David Cuillier for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. The Freedom of Information Act’s failure is its greatest success. To be sure, FOIA has done some good. Transparency laws and practices reduce corruption, lead to cleaner drinking water,…
Read MoreHas the Freedom of Information Act lived up to its purpose?
This post was written by Anne Weismann for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. Conceptionally, the Freedom of Information Act represents a valuable tool to advance democracy through the disinfectant of transparency. A statute that imposes on agencies a legal obligation…
Read MoreThe Freedom of Information Act: A testament to the enduring value of transparency
This article was coauthored by James Valvo for Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2023 Sunshine Week essay series on how government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society. The Freedom of Information Act is the first modern law to guarantee a right of public access to government records upon request. The importance of that right…
Read MoreHow government transparency and the Freedom of Information Act have transformed society
The Freedom of Information Act serves a vital function by providing everyone with a way to know what the government is up to. As the Supreme Court has explained, the FOIA “defines a structural necessity in a real democracy.” State-level public access statutes achieve the same result; transparency is as important at the local level…
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