The way to make a government responsible is not simply to enlist the services of responsible men and women, or to sign laws that ensure that they never stray. The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government accountable is make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well served.
That’s President Barack Obama speaking yesterday.
In the post Obama: Transparency will be a Touchstone of this Presidency, Sunshine Week provides coverage and analysis of our new president’s attitude towards openness and transparency in government. Hopefully, this is not “the first act of ‘transparency theater.’”