Mr. Obama and Mr. Snowden are of one mind when it comes to transparency and open government. Some time ago Mr. Obama issued an executive order committing to "...an unprecedented level of openness in Government." Mr. Snowden could not have said it better. So, TheFundamentals refers to this commitment as the Snowden Doctrine.
The Doctrine is published below for your perusal.
Comment from TheFundamentals – we underlined two sentences for you in this strong commitment to openness and
transparency. The first one says – we will disclose
information quickly and in a usable fashion.
The second one says – but you can’t make us.
Transparency and
Open Government
Memorandum for the
Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
SUBJECT:
Transparency and Open Government
My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of
openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public
trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote
efficiency and effectiveness in Government.
Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability
and provides information for citizens about what their Government is
doing. Information maintained by the Federal Government is a
national asset. My
Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy,
to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find
and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness
new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online
and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies
should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to
the public.
Government should be participatory. Public
engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of
its decisions. Knowledge is widely dispersed in society, and
public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed
knowledge. Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans
increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide their
Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and
information. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit
public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public
participation in Government.
Government should be collaborative.
Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their
Government. Executive departments and agencies should use innovative
tools, methods, and systems to cooperate among themselves, across all levels of
Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses,
and individuals in the private sector. Executive departments and
agencies should solicit public feedback to assess and improve their level of
collaboration and to identify new opportunities for cooperation.
I direct the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General
Services, to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments
and agencies, within 120 days, of recommendations for an Open Government
Directive, to be issued by the Director of OMB, that instructs executive
departments and agencies to take specific actions implementing the principles
set forth in this memorandum. The independent agencies should comply with
the Open Government Directive.
This memorandum
is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
This memorandum shall be published in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
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