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Finalist #8 in the Book Review Contest

[This is one of the finalists in the 2023 book review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I\\u2019ll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you\\u2019ve read them all, I\\u2019ll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked]

There is widespread agreement among philosophers, political commentators, and the general public that transparency in government is an unalloyed good. Louis Brandeis famously articulates the common wisdom: \\u201cPublicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman\\u201d (page 1).

Support for transparency is bipartisan. On his first day in office, Barack Obama said \\u201cMy administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.\\u201d (page 1). On the Republican National Committee\\u2019s website, one reads \\u201cRepublicans believe that transparency is essential for good governance. Elected officials should be held accountable for their actions in Washington, D.C.\\u201d (page 2)

And so it is. Legislators\\u2019 votes are published and stored in public online databases, their deliberations are televised, and their every action is extensively documented.\\xa0

https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/your-book-review-secret-government

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