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A Hobson's Choice: Ensuring Open Government Or Conserving Government Funds, Michele L. Mekel

Michele L Mekel

Part and Parcel of American democracy is the notion that governmental functions should be carried out in a manner that is open to public scrutiny and accessible to the people. Capturing this belief, sunshine laws and freedom of information statutes requiring public access to government meetings and records began to emerge as early as 1898. Following the 1966 passage of the Federal Freedom of Information Act, states that lacked such provisions adopted open records and open meetings laws. Currently all 50 states and the District of Columbia have statutory provisions that allow public access to official records and meetings. Nevertheless, …