The US, which has one of the oldest Freedom of Information Acts (equivalent to India’s RTI), is having problems in complying with President Barack Obama’s resolve to bring about more openness in the conduct of government business. Issued on his first day in office, the order on Transparency and Open Government said, “My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.” It set out to establish new norms of accountability and means, including new technologies, for greater public participation and collaboration in policymaking.
A complementary order on ethics was issued, aimed at reducing the influence of powerful lobbies and giving more voice to ordinary Americans on policy. Obama further said that there should be a presumption of openness, meaning that information should be given out not just when demanded but there should be a proactive opening up of the processes of governance to public view.
As in several other areas, Obama is having problems in implementing his “Yes. We can (change)” agenda, requiring a transformation in the culture of governance – especially as the Bush era was known for its behind-the-scenes deals. The reviews of the efforts to open up government during the first year are mixed. A group led by Common Cause has given an A grade to the year-long effort to restrict lobbyists access to administration and to the initiative for openness. But it has added: “We recognize that legitimate questions may exist about aspects of the various policies and their implementation.”
A critical report in the Washington Post found not only no substantial change from the Bush period but also more lawsuits being filed over government agencies’ refusal of applications for information under the FOI Act.The Post reported, “… in case after case, Agencies still fight requests for disclosure, contending that national security and internal decision-making need to be protected.” Amercian citizens can sue the government when their applications for access to public records are rejected.
The White House visitors’ book has been thrown open to the public.The Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Information Officer (incidentally, both are of Indian origin) were directed to develop a dash board for tracking progress of open government efforts
The President’s special counsel for ethics and government reforms claims that thousands of sets of high-value data hitherto held back by official agencies have been placed in the public domain in machine-readable, online format. In an unprecedented step, the White House visitors’ book has been thrown open to the public.The Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Information Officer (incidentally, both are of Indian origin) were directed to develop a dash board for tracking progress of open government efforts. This board is meant to continuously measure each department’s progress against four key indicators, namely, release of high-value data, data integrity, public consultation and a time-bound, open government road map enumerating at least one flagship initiative that is underway (before the next progress report).
In this highly-wired and media-led country, the electronic and cyber highway is the most convenient one to bridge the distance between the government and the people. The President himself has set an example in this respect by making himself accessible to ordinary people through YouTube, Facebook, blogs and other online formats, unlike his predecessors who mostly reached people through mainstream media embedded in the White House.This has encouraged his team members to resort to blogging, holding “town hall” meetings and seeking people’s inputs on official policies and actions. A regularly-updated, interactive web page for feedback has become mandatory for all government agencies. The emphasis is on innovative use of technology that can be easily accessed by ordinary people. Although most of the data and information is placed on the official website, it is mandatory for them to be made easily accessible through popular search engines and transferable as well.
People disappointed with the on-going “open government” efforts are perhaps unimpressed because of the deep-seated cynicism that exists about the way government and bureaucracy function. Obama’s plate is overflowing with daunting problems inherited from the previous Administration and so far he has been unable to fill thousands of official positions with his own nominees. The President’s very ambitious promise of open government in many ways would change the power equations in Washington and on Wall Street. For example, steps to enable people to track government spending and end the influence of power-broking lobbies hit at the root of the government-business nexus. Strong resistance to letting the sunshine into the power labyrinth is to be expected, as also scepticism about chances of progress. The report cards now available are only indicators of the highly desirable direction for change and a record of the work in progress.
