Secrecy in the sunshine era : the promise and failures of US open government laws / Jason Ross Arnold.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Despite laws such as the Freedom of Information Act and Government in the Sunshine Act among others that promise an open and transparent government, maintaining the secrecy of government actions and proceedings remains too often the default reaction of federal government officials. In this book Jason Arnold explores the surprising extent of government secrecy in both national security and domestic policy areas in administrations since the 1970s. He lays out the costs of excessive secrecy, shows how government agencies keep their proceedings secret, and suggests remedies to promote a more open government. This is a timely contribution to the national debates about government secrecy sparked by the actions of Edward Snowden and the revelation about the extent of secret government spying on civilians here and abroad"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Excessive secrecy and institutional change -- Keeping secrets, during settled and unsettled times - Violating FACA from the start : a history of presidential defiance -- Secret law : the "sinister trend that has gone relatively unnoticed" -- Presidential secrecy in the courts -- Secret science : from Bush-Cheney to Bush-Quayle -- Secret science : the Reagan-Bush administration -- When all else fails : shredding, burning, deleting, or whatever it takes -- "The most open and transparent administration in history?" -- Conclusions.