Secrets and leaks : the dilemma of state secrecy / Rahul Sagar, with a new preface by the author

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sagar, Rahul, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Official secrets.

Leaks (Disclosure of information).

Whistle blowing--Political aspects.

Whistle blowing.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2016]

Summary:

Secrets and Leaks examines the complex relationships among executive power, national security, and secrecy. State secrecy is vital for national security, but it can also be used to conceal wrongdoing. How then can we ensure that this power is used responsibly? Typically, the onus is put on lawmakers and judges, who are expected to oversee the executive. Yet because these actors lack access to the relevant information and the ability to determine the harm likely to be caused by its disclosure, they often defer to the executive's claims about the need for secrecy. As a result, potential abuses are more often exposed by unauthorized disclosures published in the press. But should such disclosures, which violate the law, be condoned? Drawing on several cases, Rahul Sagar argues that though whistleblowing can be morally justified, the fear of retaliation usually prompts officials to act anonymously--that is, to "leak" information. As a result, it becomes difficult for the public to discern when an unauthorized disclosure is intended to further partisan interests. Because such disclosures are the only credible means of checking the executive, Sagar writes, they must be tolerated, and, at times, even celebrated. However, the public should treat such disclosures skeptically and subject irresponsible journalism to concerted criticism

Contents:

Who watches the watchers?

The problem : how to regulate state secrecy?

Should we rely on judges? Transparency and the problem of judicial deference

Should we rely on Congress? Oversight and the problem of executive privilege

Should the law condone unauthorized disclosures? Fire alarms and the problem of legitimacy

Should we rely on whistleblowers? Disobedience and the problem of retaliation

Should we trust leakers? Anonymous sources and the problem of regulation

Bitter medicine

Notes:

Hardback edition without author's preface published in 2013

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed June 1, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Sagar, Rahul Secrets and leaks

ISBN:

9781400880850

1400880858

OCLC:

945771701

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license