Truth and Transparency comes to Politics

In 1822, James Madison—the President of the United States—described his vision of a successful government...

“A current Government, without current information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

In other words, unless everyone knows what everyone else is doing, there will be failure. Professional Office Holders will not admit mistakes for fear of persecution—and maybe prosecution, and no one can volunteer to help if they do not know where the problems lie.

Does that sound familiar?

James Madison is merely saying that the most successful government will be one governed by truth, trust, and transparency.

In my home state of Louisiana, the Republican governor is blogging about transparency in government, and even our presidential candidates are getting into the act. Barack Obama is pushing for a Google-like search of all government documents and appointment schedules!

In today's USA Today, they collected headlines from newspapers across the country proving that local governments are finally realizing how right Madison was.

The Charlotte Observer reported...

"This year … nearly three-quarters of Americans think their government is operating in a somewhat or very secretive way. That's a discouraging trend in a democratic society that depends on public support and confidence in government at all levels. … Secrecy … puts the public at risk of being abused by its own government. The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis observed that 'publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.'"

In Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said...

"Marriage licenses. Divorce decrees. Death certificates. The average adult American likely will have reason to request a copy of at least one of these in the course of a lifetime. But public records are much more than those documents that map the intersection of one's personal life with public institutions. They are the atlases for understanding what government at all levels is doing in your name and with your tax money. Sad to say, the number of public officials who consider open records requests intrusive and bothersome is legion. Some have the mistaken idea that the information is theirs and not the people's. … Public information is public information. … It's an appropriate time for the media and open-government advocates to remind people and public officials of the importance of transparent government. … The governed must have access."

The Buffalo News noted...

"Shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, (then-attorney general) John Ashcroft reversed policy on freedom of information requests, directing agencies to refuse them if there was a sound, legal basis to do so. … Federal courts have gone after reporters in recent years, first during the CIA leak investigation and most recently as part of a civil lawsuit by Steven Hatfill, whom Ashcroft had identified as a person of interest in the post-9/11 anthrax scare. Former USA TODAY reporter Toni Locy is caught in the middle as Hatfill pursues a lawsuit against the federal government. … Anyone can feel sympathy for Hatfill, but the answer to his dilemma cannot be to intimidate reporters out of doing their essential work — work that is only made more essential by the determination of federal government officials to keep secrets from the people that elect them."

Two US senators were quoted in the Austin American-Statesman...

"We have introduced new legislation to shed more light on the growing use of legislative exemptions to (the Freedom of Information Act) FOIA. (Our bill would) require that when Congress provides for a statutory exemption to FOIA in new legislation, Congress must state its intention to do so explicitly. … Though we do not question the need to keep certain government information secret … the excessive use of legislative exemptions to FOIA to withhold information from the public can harm our democracy. … Open government is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is an American value and a virtue that all Americans can embrace."

Editor and Publisher magazine reported...

"Presidential candidates receive surveys from every special interest … but the one they apparently find easiest to disregard comes from the initiative on open government. … It's about time we're hearing about issues that go far more to the heart of what kind of president they might be than what (Barack) Obama's pastor says in Sunday sermons or whether (Hillary) Clinton really is as Irish as she says on St. Patrick's Day. Both Democratic candidates have spotty records on the subject. … (John) McCain apparently thinks the American people (have) no particular need to know (about) … certain records from the Vietnam War, 33 years after the fall of Saigon. … It's past time for the remaining presidential candidates to … start challenging each other on the critical issues of transparency and access the way they challenge each other on experience and judgment."

I started this post with a presidential quote, so I guess I should end with one of my favorites from Thomas Jefferson...

"He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world's believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions."