- Do you think the Freedom of Information Act functions as it should theoretically? Are there any changes that you would like to see made to the Freedom of Information Act?
No. The FOIA is not easily used by individuals who do not have extensive background knowledge about the federal bureaucracy, legal training, and the capacity to go to court to resolve disputes. Most countries with newer FOI laws (such as the United Kingdom) have independent ombudsmen who can help citizens to make requests for information. - Why do you think the Freedom of Information Act is significant?
It is an important tool for assuring the accountability of federal agencies, and preventing abuses of bureaucratic authority. - How are FOIA and democracy related? What role does FOIA play in democracy?
FOIA helps democracy by providing the information that citizens need to understand the policy and administrative decisions taken by federal agencies. However, FOIA is not just about improving democracy. It can also promote fairness and consistency in administrative decisionmaking. For example, China now has a FOI-style regulation, the Open Government Information Regulation, that is intended to serve that purpose. - Do citizens have the right to information?
Yes. Some people think it is a fundamental human right by itself. I think that it is a corollary of several fundamental human rights, including the right to participate in political processes. - Do you think the government has the responsibility to provide citizens with information? At what point do you think that they have the right to withhold government information?
Yes, and they are entitled to withhold information for several legitimate reasons that I describe in the book, such as national security. - How effective have FOI laws been in the past and today?
This is a very big question. There is extensive evidence that FOI laws have produced important benefits in many countries. Today, many researchers are trying to find ways of quantifying or measuring effectiveness. This will be hard to do. - What inspired you to write your book Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age?
I have a longstanding interest in the question of how you make democratic processes work more effectively. At the time I wrote the book, many countries were considering the adoption of FOI laws, so it was a good topic to write about.