Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia (RTKNS) is a non-profit organization. Through advocacy and education, RTKNS encourages the use and development of freedom-of-information legislation to foster a better informed and more politically active electorate in Nova Scotia and to improve the quality of public and private decision making in the province.
WASHINGTON,March 13/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time in four years, public opinion about government secrecy has leveled off, although more than seven in 10 adults still consider the federal government to be secretive, according to the 2009 Sunshine Week survey by Scripps Howard News Service andOhio University.
Since 2006, the percentage of adults who believe the federal government to be somewhat or very secretive has grown steadily; from 62 percent in 2006 to 74 percent in 2008. The latest survey finds 73 percent characterizing federal government as secretive.
This mood is perhaps buoyed by the nearly eight in 10 adults who think President Obama's Freedom of Information directive calling for a presumption of disclosure is the right thing to do.
"Trust in government has been on the decline for some time inthe United States. The previous administration's disclosure policies certainly contributed to public skepticism," saidJerry Miller, director of the Scripps Survey Research Center atOhio University. "People now appear more optimistic, but still guarded, about President Obama and the current administration's disclosure practices under the Freedom of Information Act."
Have you ever filed a FOI request? What has been your experience? Has the information you sought been forthcoming, or did you find the bureaucracy working against you? How do you think the Act can further be strengthened, so that it serves its purpose better? Let Us Know!
Posts
