THE INCREASING CONCERNS OVER GOVERNMENT SECRECY
THE INCREASING CONCERNS OVER GOVERNMENT SECRECY

Summary/Abstract: In the democratic system, an informed and educated public and an open government are two main guardians of democracy. It is often viewed that the media is the traditional and regular means by which the public gains knowledge of government activities in a democracy. The long-running controversy over the Wiki Leaks case, which was the public release of classified United States government documents by an international nonprofit organization, illustrated the strong tension between the desire for government to keep many of its actions in secret and the desire of the public to know what its government is doing. Those who disclose government’s misconducts have the compulsion to uncover any wrongdoings in government in order to protect the democratic process. On the other hand, they fear that disclosing secret information may harm the government. Despite the uncertainties and the potential risks, government whistle blowing does seem a necessary aspect of the democratic process. There is a very simple yet very important question that remains unanswered which is what, if anything, government should or must keep secret and to what extent government should keep secret including in the name of national security?

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