The Resolution

After careful review of the four blog posts and resources, I have reached my conclusion regarding government transparency. I remain in full support of government opacity. This decision does not mean that I am for a government that keeps everything secret. The research I have done shows that the solid evidence clearly indicates the US government and the public are not ready for transparency. The public frequently would misinterpret the information, or become disenchanted with our current governmental situation. If transparency leads to an overthrow of the US government, then clearly it is not in the best interest of national security to allow transparency. Furthermore, the government is not prepared to fully expose itself. There are many clerical errors that occur that could send the public into a state of chaos.

Government transparency sounds great on paper or in passing, but I did not end up siding with the pro side of this argument simply because there is no solid evidence of government transparency being relatively successful. China is attempting to get there (and making an admirable effort), but there is no way of knowing how the public will react to the information they are now able to find. Although it was not brought up on this blog, the events that transpired due to the Wikileaks scandal was a small glimpse into how the public would take this newfound transparency. Basically, we are not ready to process that sort of information correctly. Until the context of every slice of information in the government is given and understood, I cannot advocate transparency.

Why Is Demanding More a Bad Thing? - Pro

Intelligence vs. Cost

In “Why Transparency Is Good (or Bad) For a Government?”, Pulidini argues for an open government. First, she states that transparency will expedite the passing of new legislature. Next, she contends that transparency can lead to better informed constituencies. Finally, she argues that it can improve relationships between the government and its citizens. Although Pulidini does acknowledge the inevitable financial cost of government transparency, she proves that the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.

Pulidindi, Julia. "Why Transparency Is Good (or Bad) For a Government?" CitiesSpeak. 17 
                  May 2010. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://citiesspeak.org/2010/05/17/why-
                  transparency-is-good-or-bad-for-governments/>.

Pulidini’s arguments are valid ones. Many government officials are concerned that an increase in transparency will lead to the public demanding more information. But why is that inherently a bad thing? Why is it wrong for the public to want to know what is going on? When the public  is well informed about future decisions, it will be more qualified come voting season to make the proper choice. In addition, the citizens of the United States will learn to trust their government and improve communication when the street goes both ways. An effective government should trust its people if said government wants people to trust in it. With an increase in transparency, it is likely that we will quickly see an improvement in communication and trust between the people of the nation and their government.