Sunshine Week will be celebrated March 12-18. It highlights efforts to make sure the government is open and accountable to the public.
Next Thursday is the birthday of founding father James Madison, who said “... a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”
These resources can help empower you.
RESEARCHING YOUR RIGHTS
The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 >protects citizens' rights to information and makes provisions for individuals to obtain federal agency records. This site includes a reference guide, offers tips for making a request and lists contacts at various federal agencies.
The California Public Records Act (CAPRA) and the Brown Act govern access to state records and local meetings. Use these guides from the First Amendment Project to learn more about the laws.
“ Access to Government Information in the United States,” Harold C. Relyea (Jan. 7, 2005) This Congressional Research Service (CRS) report for Congress is a brief summary of laws covering this issue. You can download the full (four-page PDF) report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The FAS Web site is a treasure-trove of watchdog resources.
The Project on Government Secrecy works to challenge policies that keep people from getting legitimate documents.
“Freedom of Information and the Right to Know: The Origins and Applications of the Freedom of Information Act,” Herbert N. Foerstel (1999) This book features a short history of the law regarding a citizen's “right to know” and tips on how to find and retrieve official documents.
The California First Amendment Coalition and Californians Aware are nonprofit advocacy organizations dedicated to promoting and defending the people's right to open meetings and public records.
ACCESSING GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
The official Web portal of the United States, FirstGov has search features to help you find content from about 40 million government-related Web pages.
You can also browse through sites from the Vanderbilt Library government resources page. where librarian experts have organized federal sites by topic and provide convenient links to state and local entities
Scholars at the
University of California Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies have selected and annotated a number of useful California resources.
The city of San Diego site features official documents such as council agendas and minutes.
The County of San Diego site offers all the online services available from the county by clicking on the services link in the upper left corner, and then choose from the list of e-services on the left.
DIGGING DEEPER
“Raising Hell: A Citizens Guide to the Fine Art of Investigation,” Dan Noyes (1978).
This handy 19-page pamphlet from the Center for Investigative Reporting is still worth reading. It tells how to begin to use libraries and official records to learn about individuals, government and corporations. Download it at muckraker.org.
Written as a hands-on, practical guide, this book details methods used by investigative reporters to uncover and address the ethical lapses of both corporate and government groups.
– MERRIE MONTEAGUDO, STAFF RESEARCHER
Contact the researchers at
intheknow@uniontrib.com
