Central to the open government philosophy is a system that deprecates locked files and closed doors. Good citizens challenge the decisions made by the government and petition or vote for change when change is needed. But no citizen can carry out these responsibilities when the government is secret.
The information held by the government belongs to the public and is only held in trust for them by the government and its officials.

Whether open government matters are or not part of the election agenda, it should be the practice by every government to strengthen open government laws and equally it is the responsibility of the American citizens to participate in the strengthening of these laws.
Be it the war in Iraq or the federal budget, each of these have had direct or indirect effects on the people. There is therefore every reason that the people should know the rationale associated with these decisions, participate in the decisionmaking process so as to ensure that the decision taken is indeed in the best interests.
The open government approach would lead to reduction in wastage of resources and consequently divert them to more productive uses. For instance, proper disclosure of the spending pattern of government officials on foreign tours may result in a finding that may indicate higher levels of spending than the standard for this type of expenditure. This would lead to further scrutiny, which in effect, will result in reduction in such type of expenditure. The resources could then be utilised for other useful purposes, towards government funding of technology and innovation that would largely benefit mankind or towards healthcare or for any other productive use. Open government laws would also lead to reduction in corruption.
Some of the information is classified as it is related to weapons technology, military contingency plans that has to kept secret for national security purposes. But, at the same time this type of classification of government matters should not be used to disguise government inefficiency.

The open government guide is a comprehensive guide to open government law and practice in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It outlines the rights of reporters and other citizens to see information and attend meetings of state and local governments. All states have passed laws requiring openness, often in direct response to the scandals spawned by government secrecy. The U.S. Congress strengthened the federal Freedom of Information Act after Watergate, and many states followed suit. It is in this climate of tension between broad democratic mandates for openness and official preference for secrecy that reporters and good citizens need to garner their resources to ensure the passage and success of open government laws. The internet is a powerful tool to strengthen the open government laws. Using the internet the public can have access to government related records or information published at websites and also participate in online discussion forum and be heard'
The American citizen must realize that his or her role does not end by electing the government rather it begins by electing the government. Through regular participation in various situations that come by in our everyday lives- be it the meeting in your area of residence to set up a new school or attending a rally in support of a cause or giving your feedback to a news article published at a website, you are consciously strengthening the open government laws.

Learn more about this author, Mavis Kunjappu.
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