open government

   The relatively unconstrained flow of information about government to the general public, the media and representative bodies. Open government is relative, not absolute. All governments must keep some secrets, but critics of official secrecy in Britain claim that government is too secretive.

   Proponents of greater freedom suggest that some relaxation of the tight controls on the supply of information would benefit good government. Excessive secrecy is said to undermine faith in the authority and fairness of government, fuelling suspicions that there is much ineffi- ciency, waste or corruption going on behind the scenes. The more policies and their implications are fully unveiled and debated, the more likelihood there is of good decisions being made. Moreover, greater openness would act as a restraint upon ministers and officials, who would learn their decisions have to be capable of convincing justification. Opponents believe that open government makes government more difficult to conduct, slowing down decision-making. Furthermore, to reveal documents or evidence that provided honest and candid advice for ministers would be against the public interest, discouraging officials from speaking freely. In the words of the permanent secretary in the TV series Yes Minister: ‘Open government is a contradiction in terms. You can be open, or you can have government’.

   See also: Freedom of Information Act