Transparency in the Open Governement Era

In a digital era, in which government can collect and store large amounts of information, issues related to governmental openness and transparency have become increasingly important. While most societies have enacted freedom of information statutes, these statutes differ regarding the information that they make available, and the information that they protect from disclosure• Thus, although citizens can gain access to some types of governmental information, mach information remains shielded from disclosure Transparency issues have aise arisen regarding governmental surveillance programs• Following the disclosures of , dward Snowden, it has become clear that many governments collect and retain large amounts of digital information, including e-mails, web postings, text messages and cell phone colis. The collection of essays in this book explore these important transparency issues and raise fondamental questions regarding governmental accountability. In democratic societies, in which the power to govern flows from the consent of the governed, individual voters must understand how government is functioning in order to cast informed votes. Citizens also have an interest in knowing the extent to which government is surveilling them• Of course, if governmental anti-terrorism efforts are to be effective, governments cannot reveal everything• The papers in this book explore these issues and seek to (nd a proper balance between governmental effectiveness and transparency. Irène Bouhadana is a tenured Assoc. Professor at the Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) where she is director of the master of Digital Law. Member of the Institut de Recherche Juridique de la Sorbonne (IRIS), she is also co-founder and Secretary-General of IMODEV, the Institut du Monde et du Développement pour la Bonne Gouvernance Publique. William Gilles is a tenured Assoc. Professor (HDR) at the Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) where he is director of the Chair of Americas, of the Bachelor of Public Administration, and of the Master of Digital Law. Member of the Institut de Recherche Juridique de la Sorbonne (IRJS), he is also Co-Founder and President of IMODEV. Russell Weaver is Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. He writes extensively about administrative law and constitutional law issues.