Prompt Cast
The History and Challenges of Government Transparency in the United States
TLDR This podcast episode explores the concept of government transparency and the history of openness in the United States, including the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966. It discusses the impact of major events like Watergate and 9/11 on FOIA, the loopholes and exemptions that can hinder the release of information, and the importance of journalists in holding the government accountable.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode is about the concept of government transparency and the history of openness in the United States.
04:53
The podcast episode discusses the lack of government transparency in the past and the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966.
10:10
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows citizens, including journalists, to request records from government agencies, with certain exemptions and a process for appealing denials.
15:10
The Watergate scandal led to an update and strengthening of FOIA, making it harder for government agencies to deny requests for information.
20:13
During Clinton's administration, the release and archiving of previously classified Cold War documents and the digitization of records had a big impact on FOIA, while George W. Bush tightened restrictions on FOIA after September 11th.
25:22
Under the Obama administration, there was a push for transparency and a presumption in favor of disclosure, but behind the scenes, there was intense lobbying to prevent these changes from becoming part of the FOIA law.
30:36
The 2016 FOIA Act, which would have expanded the exemption to FOIA requests for financial system documents, was lobbied out and did not become law.
35:28
FOIA requests often turn into lawsuits, as exemplified by a reporter who waited three and a half years for a denial from the Department of Defense, and the process involves filing a request, waiting 20 days for a response, appealing if necessary, and potentially taking it to federal court.
40:25
The FOIA amendments state that if a document has been requested three or more times, it must be released to the public, but there are many loopholes and exemptions that can prevent a government agency from approving a FOIA request.
45:04
Journalists have an obligation to inform the public about instances where the government is stonewalling FOIA requests, as going up against the government and shedding light on their non-compliance with FOIA laws is crucial in order to hold them accountable and prevent the FOIA process from becoming unpredictable and ineffective.
50:04
Jason Leopold has filed more FOIA lawsuits than anyone, including the New York Times, and has been successful in obtaining information on various topics such as Clinton's emails, Guantanamo, and the NSA.
Categories:
Society & Culture
