Public Access to Government Information
Overview of Federal Open-Records Laws
Throughout the first 150 years of the Federal Government, access to government information does not appear to have been a major issue for the Federal branches or the public. There were a few instances during this period when the President, for reasons of maintaining the constitutional independence and equality of his branch, vigorously resisted attempts by Congress and the courts to obtain Executive records. Furthermore, during this same era, an active Federal public printing program was established and effectively developed, making government documents more accessible. Following World War II, some information was available from certain Federal departments and agencies. The…
