Over 60 Groups Call On Obama for Transparency in Government

by Erik Larson | November 12, 2008 at 03:28 pm

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The National Security Archive has organized a coalition of dozens of public interest-good government orgs and issued a press release with recommendations for how Obama can improve the public's trust with openness and disclosure in government. These include liberal FOIA disclosure policies, new technology, revoking Bush Executive Orders and issuing directives that will correct Bush's abuse of secrecy and create transparency instead.

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The Obama administration can act quickly after taking office in January to reverse the secrecy trend of the last eight years and restore openness in the executive branch, according to a set of new proposals posted online today by the National Security Archive. More than 60 organizations joined the recommendations, which call on President-elect Obama to restore efficiency and openness to the Freedom of Information Act process, reform the classification system to reduce overclassification and facilitate greater declassification, and ensure that presidential records are handled in accordance with the law and Congress’ intent.

“President-elect Obama can make a difference on Day One in the way his administration relates to the public,” explained the Archive’s general counsel Meredith Fuchs. “Secrecy got out of control in the last eight years, but a few focused directives will go a long way towards reopening the government.”

A diverse coalition of groups convened by the National Security Archive developed the three proposals. If adopted, the recommendations would establish the needed framework for accountability, integrity, and greater effectiveness in the federal government. The proposals call on the president-elect to take the following actions during his first days in office: