Reports

Audit Reveals Lack of Access to Accountability Information

A new report from OpenTheGovernment.org, A Quick Accounting of Accountability Information, shows how far the federal government has to go to meet 21st century expectations of transparency.

03/15/2011

Secrecy Report Card 2010

On Tuesday, September 7, OpenTheGovernment.org released the 2010 Secrecy Report Card, a quantitative report on indicators of government secrecy. The report chronicles a continued decrease in most indicators of secrecy since the end of the Bush Administration and growing backlogs in the declassification system as old secrets move through the system. The report covers the first 9 months of President Obama's Administration.

09/06/2010

2009 Secrecy Report Card

On September 9, OpenTheGovernment.org released the 2009 Secrecy Report Card. This years report chronicles slight decreases in secrecy across a wide spectrum of indicators in the last year of the Bush-Cheney Administration, after five years of continued expansion. For this year only, the report includes two special sections: one on fiscal transparency and one providing a quick look at the Obama Administration's openness promising policies and, in some instances, discouraging practice.

09/08/2009

Managing the public's records for accountability and history

Managing the public's records for accountability and history was created through the efforts of policy advocates, including current and former government employees, concerned about the preservation and management of government records.

05/20/2009

Show Us the Data: Most Wanted Federal Documents

OpenTheGovernment.org and the Center for Democracy and Technology released Show Us the Data: Most Wanted Federal Documents, a report citing documents and data that the federal government should make easier to find and to use and recommends policy changes to make government more open.

03/01/2009

Secrecy Report Card 2008

The Secrecy Report Card 2008 shows government secrecy continued to expand in 2007, while Congress moved to increase openness and accountability. See the press release here.

09/08/2008

Secrecy Report Card 2007

The Secrecy Report Card 2007 documents a continued expansion of government secrecy and public concern in 2006. See the press release here.

08/31/2007

Government Secrecy; Decisions Without Democracy

Government Secrecy; Decisions Without Democracy, a report by OpenTheGovernment.org and People For the American Way Foundation, updates the 1987 report on Government Secrecy published by People For and documents how executive power has dramatically expanded while executive accountability has diminished. See the press release here. Available for purchase in hard-copy or download.

07/11/2007

Congressional Access to Classified National Security Information

Congressional Access to Classified National Security Information
is a joint product of OpenTheGovernment.org, the Center for National Security Studies (CNSS), and the Center for American Progress published in conjunction with an event at the Center for American Progress, "CLASSIFIED: Ensuring Congressional Access to National Security Information." Kate Martin, author of this paper, is director of CNSS.

03/01/2007

Secrecy Report Card 2006

The Secrecy Report Card 2006 documents a further expansion of government secrecy in 2005 despite growing public concern. See the press release here.

09/02/2006

Press Room