Understanding the Primary Components of the Annual Financial Report of the United States Government

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09946sp.pdf

Explains the purpose of each component of the financial report and provides illustrative financial information using actual fiscal year 2008 and 2007 data. From the Government Accountability Office

Policies and Procedures Governing Invocation of the State Secrets Privilege

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/documents/state-secret-privilieges.pdf

Lays out policies and procedures to be followed by the Justice Department when called upon to defend an executive branch agency that refuses to disclose official information and uses the so-called state secrets privilege as the justification for nondisclosure. The new policy states that the privilege should be invoked only when disclosure would cause significant harm to national security. From the Justice Department.

Access to Government Information in the United States

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/97-71_20090831.pdf

Offers an overview of the four major information access laws, their history and background, and access of various branches of government to information generated by other branches. Also discusses the use of information access laws and provides usage statistics. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

Security Classification Policy and Procedure: E.O. 12958 As Amended

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/97-771_20090604.pdf

Examines the policies and documents by which the current official security classification program was created, how it was amended by the Bush administration, and the current review of policy ordered by the Obama administration. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

Management Review of the Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State

http://www.fas.org/sgp/advisory/state/ig-review.pdf

Charges the Office of the Historian suffers from serious mismanagement, cronyism, favoritism, and lack of transparency and recommends reassignment of the director. The director was reassigned following the issuance of the report and a new director, John Campbell, has been appointed as Acting Director. The office is responsible for issuing Foreign Relations of the U.S., the official documentary history of U.S. foreign policy. From the Office of the Inspector General of the State Department, Posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

Transparency and Open Government

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2009/05/opengov.pdf

Notice published in the Federal Register that solicits comments, ideas, and proposals from the public on how to promote increased openness and transparency in government. Includes such considerations as what government information should be more readily available online, how might the operations of government be made more transparent and accountable, what alternative models exist to increase citizen participation, and what are the limitations to transparency. From the Office of Science and Technology Policy, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

Freedom of Information Act Memorandum

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/foia-memo-march2009.pdf

Instructs federal agencies to adopt an assumption of openness with regard to requests for information from citizens. Agencies are told not to withhold information just because they may do so legally, and, if an agency determines that it cannot make full disclosure of the requested information, it must consider whether it can make partial disclosure. From the Justice Department.

Presidential Records: Issues for the 111th Congress

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/R40238.pdf

Analyzes Executive Order 13489 of President Obama and how it departs from the policies of the Bush administration in providing access to presidential records. Also looks at how current legislation in the 111th Congress would affect presidential records policies of the Obama administration. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

Freedom of Information Act Memorandum

http://www.fas.org/sgp/obama/foia012109.html

Statement of policy about the Freedom of Information Act which instructs agencies to adopt a presumption of disclosure and directs the Attorney General to issue new guidelines reaffirming the commitment to accountability and transparency for federal executive agencies. Reverses the policy of the previous eight years that agencies should use a presumption of nondisclosure. From the White House, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

Executive Order, Presidential Records

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrderPresidentialRecords/

Provides text of executive order of President Obama relating to openness of presidential records. Restricts to the incumbent president the power to assert constitutional privileges to restrict presidential information from the public. Reverses executive order of President Bush which provided broad discretion to former presidents and vice presidents and their heirs to withhold presidential records from the public. From the White House

Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth: 2008

http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/StateGovernment/BlueBook/report.cfm

Annual publication which lists the officers of Virginia state government including members of all boards, councils, and commissions. From the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth

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