Whose Public Virtue? Exploring Freedom of Information Efficacy and Support

Little is known about public perceptions of how FOI laws influence government operations or impact citizens’ daily lives. A large representative sample of U.S. adults was surveyed for support of FOI laws and perceptions of FOI efficacy. Findings showed advanced education and higher perceptions of ge...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Administration & society 2023-01, Vol.55 (1), p.93-121
Main Author: Wagner, A. Jay
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Adults
Efficacy
Freedom of information
Government
Males
Morality
Perceptions
Public opinion
Race
Respondents
Transparency
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Little is known about public perceptions of how FOI laws influence government operations or impact citizens’ daily lives. A large representative sample of U.S. adults was surveyed for support of FOI laws and perceptions of FOI efficacy. Findings showed advanced education and higher perceptions of general government efficacy to be strongly significant in predicting both support for FOI and greater FOI efficacy. Males and liberal respondents also demonstrated significance in predicting support for FOI and higher FOI efficacy, while individuals identifying as Black race was a significant negative predictor in support for FOI and whether FOI improved government operations and accountability.
ISSN:0095-3997
1552-3039
DOI:10.1177/00953997221113223