http://www.suffolk.edu/43869.html BOSTON - Massachusetts residents believe strongly in open government but
view state government as secretive, according to a new poll released by the
Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service at Suffolk University Law
School.
Seventy percent of registered voters believe that public access to
government records is critical to the functioning of good government,
according to the poll. But 57 percent of voters view Massachusetts' state
government as somewhat or very secretive. By contrast, the majority of
respondents view local government as somewhat or very open.
The poll was conducted by the Suffolk University Political Research Center
and taken as background for a symposium on Massachusetts' public records
law, to be held Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Rappaport
Center for Law and Public Service at Suffolk University Law School. The
conference will examine problems in the operation of the 1973 law, which is
intended to provide public access to government documents. The meeting is
co-sponsored by the ACLU of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts City
Solicitors and Town Counsel Association.
The symposium is timed to fall on International Right to Know Day and will
feature speakers from across the United States and overseas.
"Ninety other countries have adopted public records laws since 1973," said
Alasdair Roberts, the Rappaport Professor of Law and Public Policy at
Suffolk Law School. "There's a lot we can learn about ways of improving the
Massachusetts law."
The poll shows that public attitudes on openness are strongly connected to
views about government taxation and spending. Supporters of Question 3,
which would cut the state sales tax to three percent, are more likely to
regard state agencies as secretive. Similarly, opponents of federal
stimulus spending are more likely to regard the federal government as
secretive.
In general, though, attitudes toward openness are not strongly tied to party
preferences. Large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents
agree that public access to government records is critical to the
functioning of good government. Regardless of party preference, local
government is viewed as more open than state government.
The statewide survey of 500 Massachusetts registered voters was conducted
September 16-19, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.
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The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service at Suffolk University Law
School was established in 2006 through a generous gift from the Jerome Lyle
Rappaport Charitable Foundation and Jerry and Phyllis Rappaport. The Center
fosters innovative thinking on law and public policy and promotes emerging
leaders who are deeply committed to public service and pro bono work.
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Suffolk University Law School, in the heart of Boston, enrolls more than
1,600 students in its day and evening divisions. Its curriculum includes
specialty concentrations, joint-degree programs and an LL.M. in global
technology. A wide range of clinical programs, internships and moot court
competitions provide students with practical skills. Suffolk University is
comprised of the Law School, College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer
Business School.
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