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Less Government, More Secrecy: Reinvention and the Weakening of Freedom of Information Law
Author(s) -
Roberts Alasdair S.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/0033-3352.00093
Subject(s) - freedom of information , secrecy , accountability , democracy , transparency (behavior) , restructuring , business , government (linguistics) , politics , openness to experience , public administration , public relations , autonomy , law and economics , law , political science , economics , finance , psychology , social psychology , linguistics , philosophy
Many critics have suggested that worldwide efforts to reinvent government could also weaken democratic control over public institutions, but few have considered how attempts to implement the “new paradigm” in public management might affect a widely used instrument for promoting accountability: freedom of information law (FOI). FOI laws give citizens and nongovernmental organizations the right of access to government information. However, recent Canadian experience shows that reinvention can weaken FOI laws in three ways. First, attempts to reduce “nonessential” spending may cause delays in handling FOI requests and weaken mechanisms for ensuring compliance. Second, governmental functions may be transferred to private contractors and not‐for‐profit organizations that are not required to comply with FOI laws. Third, governments' attempts to sell information and increase FOI fees may create new economic barriers to openness. Thus, restructuring provides an opportunity for political executives, public servants, and some well‐organized business interests to weaken oversight mechanisms and increase their own autonomy within the policy process.