A SURVEY OF 946 ADULTS conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University as part of Sunshine Week reveals that most Americans still believe the government is secretive, although for the first time in four years, the public's mistrust isn't increasing.
According to the survey, the percentage of adults who believe the federal government to be somewhat or very secretive has grown steadily since 2006, from 62 percent to 74 percent in 2008. The latest survey finds 73 percent characterizing federal government as secretive.
But after eight years of Bush Administration secrecy, the public appears hopeful that things might change, with nearly eight out of 10 adults responding positively to President Obama's Freedom of Information directive calling for a presumption of disclosure.
“Trust in government has been on the decline for some time in the United States. The previous administration's disclosure policies certainly contributed to public skepticism,” said Jerry Miller, director of the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. “People now appear more optimistic, but still guarded, about President Obama and the current administration's disclosure practices under the Freedom of Information Act.”
While the mistrust extends at all levels, the federal government is seen as more secretive than state and local governments.
At the state level, 54 percent view government as open and 44 percent as secretive. More than half the people, 56 percent, say their local government is very or somewhat open, with 44 percent rating it as very or somewhat open.
There are some other concerns about the survey. About one-third of Americans surveyed said they'd never heard of the federal Freedom of Information Act, while nine in 10 adults say they have never requested information through the law.
The survey was conducted under a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation and commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors.*