Blacked out : government secrecy in the information age / Alasdair Roberts.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Roberts, Alasdair (Alasdair Scott), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Official secrets.

Freedom of information.

Transparency (Ethics) in government.

Government information.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 322 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

System Details:

text file

PDF

Summary:

Nearly forty years ago the US Congress passed the landmark Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) giving the public the right to government documents. This 'right to know' has been used over the past decades to challenge overreaching Presidents and secretive government agencies. The example of transparency in government has served as an example to nations around the world spawning similar statutes in fifty-nine countries. This 2006 book examines the evolution of the move toward openness in government. It looks at how technology has aided the disclosure and dissemination of information. The author tackles the question of whether the drive for transparency has stemmed the desire for government secrecy and discusses how many governments ignore or frustrate the legal requirements for the release of key documents. Blacked Out is an important contribution during a time where profound changes in the structure of government are changing access to government documents.

Contents:

1. The glass case

I. Context

2. Secrecy and security

3. Regime change

4. Message discipline

5. Soft states

II. Structure

6. Opaque networks

7. The corporate evil

8. Remote control

III. Technology

9. Liquid paper

IV. Conclusion

10. The end of the story?

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9781139165518

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.