ABSTRACT
Public officials often want to shield documents from inspection, and sometimes such secrecy is unacceptable. Unclassified public documents may be accessed by anyone without justification. Federal administrative agencies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, which outlines request procedures. There are exemptions in which government agencies do not have to turn over documents. Not just documents, but also meetings of federal government agencies must be open to the public, with certain exceptions. Analogous state laws concerning open meetings and public records exist in all 50 states. Despite differences, basic provisions of openness are similar.
