Chapter 3: Federal Records: The Citizen’s Concern

Nearly fifty years ago two eminent political scientists, Charles A. Beard and William Beard, presented an image of the pomp and power of the federal government that seems increasingly real when viewed in contemporary light. In a seminal study these scholars pictured the United States government as “a hugh complex of wealth, political institutions, military engines, economic undertakings, and technological activities looming fatefully on the horizon of the ages.”¹ The records of this governmental giant are of concern to American citizens both because of their potential use for many helpful purposes and their possible consultation for some harmful purposes. They are a large part of the nation’s administrative memory, legal heritage, and cultural treasure. Moreover, they are essential instruments for maintaining the government’s accountability to its citizens, vital in a free and democratic society. At the same time, these records are a major element of a national information explosion that threatens the sanctity of the traditional domain of personal privacy. Accordingly, citizens throughout the nation are naturally concerned about policies and practices regarding the use of federal records. Such policies and practices are influenced on one hand by concepts of the public’s right to know and on the other by ideas of individual liberty and freedom from intrusive actions, stemming from legal tradition, and by considerations of national security called for in an insecure world.