Government Secrecy

Classic and Contemporary Readings

Jan Goldman Ph.D., Susan Maret, Jan Goldman Ph.D., Susan Maret

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Year: 2008
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781598845013
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Government Secrecy presents the best that has been thought and written on the subject, including history and philosophy, theory and practice, justification and critique. Through readings, which range from Georg Simmel on secrecy and Max Weber on bureaucracy and secret-keeping, to post-9/11 concerns regarding freedom of information and presidential secrecy, it enables readers to explore the issues and questions that surround the government's right to keep necessary secrets—or not. This collection, and the diverse perspectives it represents, will engage students and other interested parties in a discussion of the benefits—and dangers—of government secrecy. The collection is designed to generate questions regarding historical accuracy of government information, information ethics, professional neutrality, ownership of information, public right to information, national security, and transparency. The essays explore the criteria and conditions for government secret-keeping, as well as contributing to public and academic discussion of the role of secrets in democracies.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Overview and Organization of Government Secrecy: Classic and Contemporary Readings
• Chapter 1: Perspectives on Secrecy
• Chapter 2: A Short History of Government Secrecy
• Chapter 3: Secrecy as Regulation
• Chapter 4: Organizational Aspects of Secrecy
• Chapter 5: Necessary Secrets: Alternative Views on the Need for Secrets and Secret Keeping
• Chapter 6: Secrecy Post-9/11 and the Uncertain Future of Information
• Appendix A: Major Reviews of the U.S. Secrecy System
• Appendix B: Laws That Restrict Public Access to Federal Records
• Appendix C: Errata to “The H-Bomb Secret”
• Sources
• Glossary
• Further Reading
• About the Contributors
• Index
• About the Editors