ABSTRACT
This chapter examines information policy from historical and analytical perspectives. It explains a historical overview of information policy development in the United States, with particular focus on the period between 1990 and the present. Information policy is relevant to virtually any activity of government and every facet of social and economic life. The concept of information policy can be traced far back in social and political history into at least the Middle Ages, when independent thought and inquiry were strongly discouraged and even severely punished by the religious establishment. In the post–World War II period, several additional significant policy actions emerged. Security of government information and systems has also received significantly increased attention, especially since the terrorist attacks of September 2001. Categorization approaches identify and organize information policy issues according to certain topics or policy goals, such as information resource management; information technology, telecommunications, and broadcasting; information disclosure, confidentiality, and privacy; and intellectual property.
