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Secrecy, and not being able to participate in the political process is one of the issues that angered the American colonist prior to declaring independence from England. In the Declaration of Independence of the United States of American, there is a long train of abuses coming from King George of England and his supporters. Americans were left in the dark on so many issues, one of which was taxation.

Just like in a family, in government, there must be open dialogue with the people, and agreement on issues, before something gets legislated, and becomes the law of the land. The public in a republic have the right to know. It is never the case of one group, a group of those who know, versus those who do not know. In a republic, education is necessary, and all individuals have equal access to information.

Look at what has happened historically,and you will see that the most brutal regimes, were those who did not have open communication with the public, and did not allow the pubic to participate in the decision making process. Now, I am not saying that everyone has to fill the chambers of government, since that is impossible, and not the republican way of doing things. What I mean is that through elected officials, each individual has the opportunity to have his or her voice heard and considered. This is how a republic works, with the checks and balances of the difference arms of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. All worling together for the whole, but considering individual interests.

The United States Constitution makes for government proceedings to be recoreded. This is public information. This is information that you and I should freely have access to, and currently, this information is available online, at least much of what government records is. Of course, there are security issues involved in certain situations, in which government does need to use common sense and not disclose all details. For example: how many troops are sent to a battle region, or what is the latest plans for new weaponry. Common sense use to prevail in the early American republic, and must continue to prevail.

Each one of us, as citizens, should be able to contact our representatives, to discuss issues, complain on issues, petition the government for a redress of grievances. One important job of an elected official in a repubic, is to know how people feel about issues. Time needs to be set aside everyday answering emails, letter, phone calls, and meeting with individuals. Communication is key. Many do not take advantage of the citizenry right in a Constitutional Republic.

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