Introduction
Signed into law on July 4, 1966, the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives citizens the right to request federal agency information and puts the responsibility of imparting this information on the government. FOIA also gives the government the right and responsibility to withhold certain information from the public. The purpose of FOIA is to balance these rights and responsibilities to ensure an open yet functional government.
ThesisFOIA was the first step toward ensuring government transparency, and continues to evolve to this day to better balance rights and responsibilities in a more open government. As citizens have gained more access to government information, the nation has ultimately benefited.
However, the implementation of FOIA is sometimes inconsistent with its intended outcome and there remains room for improvement in the future. |