Exploring the relationship between United States governmental secrecy and democracy: Classification, cultures of secrecy, and the public sphere.
Abstract
For the past 60 years government secrecy in the form of officially classified documents has increased dramatically. According to the Information Security Oversight Office there were slightly fewer than 16 million classification decisions in 2004 alone. In what way does classification impact representative democracy as it is practiced in the United States? This dissertation employed hermeneutic analysis to investigate the phenomenon of government secrecy and its effects on democracy. Through the analysis of executive orders, legislation, and official documents, the nature and scope of government secrecy was explored. The internal effects of secrecy on the information flow between governmental agencies were investigated, as well as the external effects of secrecy between the government and its constituents. Findings suggest that overclassification not only negatively impacts the internal communication networks of the government, but also, negatively impacts the public sphere, as citizens are denied access to information vital to informed decision making. The effect of secrecy on civil liberties is also examined. What emerges from this comprehensive hermeneutic analysis is a simple pattern consisting of a threat, followed by increased secrecy and legislation, which finally results in the infringement on individual and group civil liberty. Historically, this pattern frequently repeats itself.
Collections
- OU - Dissertations [9425]
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
State claims. Letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury transmitting the report of the Third Auditor and Second Comptroller, making allowances to the State of Massachusetts of $26,228.44, and the State of Pennsylvania of $7,546.83, on account of "refunding to States expenses incurred in raising volunteers," and to the State of Texas $148,615.97, on account of "re-imbursement to certain States and Territories for expenses incurred in repelling invasions and suppressing Indian hostilities.".
House of Representatives Executive Document No. 413, 51st Congress, 1st Session (1890) (1890-06-12) -
Indian Trust Bonds. Letter from the Secretary of the Interior, stating the amount of bonds of the State of Virginia, and bonds of other corporations guaranteed by the State of Virginia, held by the United States in trust for certain Indian tribes, and asking for authority to dispose of the same.
House of Representatives Executive Document No. 72, 38th Congress, 2nd Session (1865) (1865-02-23) -
Letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting report of Lieut. Thomas H. Bradley, examiner of state claims, on the claims of states against the United States, in response to an inquiry from the Committee on Claims, United States Senate
Senate Executive Document No. 74, 46th Congress, 2nd Session (1880) (1880-02-09)