A Culture of Secrecy: The Government Versus the People's Right to Know » (1st Edition)

The government is hiding information from its citizens—or so most Americans believe. While even some members of Congress now call for greater access to classified documents, federal agencies continue to withhold a massive amount of information in the name of national security, maintaining a culture of secrecy rooted in the Cold War.

This new book examines who in government is hiding what from the rest of us, how they're doing it, and why it should matter to all of us. Contributing scholars, journalists, and attorneys survey the policies of federal intelligence agencies and presidents—notably Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton—to keep information secret. They show how these agencies have gone far beyond legitimate security needs to withhold information, and they describe the frustrations and costs encountered in their own efforts to obtain classified information.

The authors review important cases exemplifying State Department, agency, and presidential efforts to withhold, destroy, or delay release of these records. In chapters centering on the Kennedy assassination, the Nixon tapes, and the FBI's files on John Lennon and the Supreme Court justices, readers will find an abundance of startling and disturbing revelations. By citing some of the methods used by agencies like the CIA, NSA, NSC, and FBI to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act—often with the cooperation of the judicial system—these essays clearly show that abuses of secrecy aren't limited to the withholding of information but extend to the absurd lengths taken to avoid disclosure.

A Culture of Secrecy is particularly timely reading for a concerned public. Its cases will instruct others seeking access to classified material, and its exposure of government practices may lead to greater openness that will facilitate historical research and guarantee the public's right to know.

Booknews

Ten essays recount attempts to pry information from the U.S. government regarding the Kennedy assassination, the Nixon tapes, and the FBI's files on John Lennon and Supreme Court justices. They document the methods by which agencies such as the CIA, NSA, NSC, and FBI go to great lengths to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act, often with the cooperation of the judicial system.