The government's instinct is to shroud itself in secrecy - to act like the office of a president instead of as a collective cabinet government held to account by the elected House of Commons.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If governments did not mislead their citizens so often, there would be less need for secrecy, and if leaders knew they could not rely on keeping the public in the dark about what they are doing, they would have a powerful incentive to behave better.
Secrecy is the foundation of politics.
Politicians often claim secrecy is necessary for good governance or national security.
I believe good governments have nothing to hide. We want to ensure we maintain confidence in our public institutions.
The problem is that the American public is suspicious of executive power shrouded in secrecy. In the absence of an official picture of what our government is doing, and by what authority, many in the public fill the void by envisioning the worst.
What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding things, not releasing things.
The governments of the present day have to deal not merely with other governments, with emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies which have everywhere their unscrupulous agents, and can at the last moment upset all the governments' plans.
Usually you kind of give the President a pass on leaking confidential stuff.
Every president thinks that all information that comes to the White House is their private preserve after they all promise an open administration on the campaign trail, but some are more secretive than others. Some want to lock down everything.
Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of a regular government.
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