Government transparency is one of the greatest features of any liberal democracy. It is the key tool in fighting corruption, incompetence, and abuse by those in power. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the Bush Administration is one of the most secretive in history.
I am creating a collection of links to different articles and various sites in order to document Bush's opaque governing style. It would be greatly appreciated if commenters here could supply me with more links (preferably from reliable news sources) that point out this frightening trend.
2001
Dioxin Report By EPA On Hold (Washington Post, 4/12/2001)
White House Delays Release of Advice to Reagan (New York Times, 6/9/2001)
Cheney won't turn over energy task force records (CNN, 7/19/2001)
Limits Sought on Access to Company Data (New York Times, 9/28/2001)
White House Again Delays Reagan Files' Release (New York Times, 9/1/2001)
Bush Clamping Down On Presidential Papers (Washington Post, 11/1/2001)
2002
Government Openness at Issue As Bush Holds On to Records (New York Times, 1/3/2002)
Critics Say New Rule Limits Access to Records (New York Times, 2/27/2002)
Bush View of Secrecy Is Stirring Frustration (Washington Post, 3/3/2002)
Researchers Say Science Is Hurt by Secrecy Policy Set Up by the White House (New York Times, 10/19/2002)
2003
Shooting the Messenger: Report on Layoffs Killed (San Francisco Chronicle, 1/3/2003)
Bush Misuses Science, Report Says (Washington Post, 8/8/2003)
EPA Misled Public on 9/11 Pollution (Newsday, 8/23/2003)
White House Web Scrubbing (Washington Post, 12/8/2003)
Keeping Secrets (U.S. News & World Report, 12/12/2003)
Foes Say Bush Plan Would Create 'Debating Society Over Science' (Baltimore Sun, 12/19/2003)
2004
Leading Scientists Accuse Government of Distorting Science for Political Ends (Baltimore Sun, 1/26/2004)
Bush Administration Accused of Suppressing, Distorting Science (Knight Ridder, 2/19/2004)
White House Minimized the Risks of Mercury in Proposed Rules, Scientists Say (New York Times, 4/7/2004)
Researchers Accuse Bush of Manipulating Science (Los Angeles Times, 7/9/2004)
2005
U.S. Scientists Say They Are Told to Alter Findings (Los Angeles Times, 2/10/2005)
Panelists Decry Bush Science Policies (Associated Press, 2/21/2005)
EPA Distorted Mercury Analysis, GAO Says (Washington Post, 3/8/2005)
Bush Administration Eliminating 19-year-old International Terrorism Report(Jonathan S. Landay, 4/15/2005)
Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming (New York Times, 6/8/2005)
Administration excised scientists' warnings in grazing report (Los Angles Times, 6/18/2005)
U.S. Blocked Release of CAFTA Reports (Associated Press, 6/29/2005)
Halliburton deal whistleblower demoted (Associated Press, 8/29/2005)
Study: Journalists Face Long FOIA Delays (Associated Press, 9/13/2005)
Agency charged with spending oversight in Iraq left country in '04 (Knight Ridder, 10/17/2005)
Vietnam Study, Casting Doubts, Remains Secret (New York Times, 10/31/2005)
Vice President's Office Keeps Travel Expenses Under Wraps (Washington Post, 11/29/2005)
2006
IRS Is Sued on Failure to Release Tax Data (New York Times, 1/10/2006)
White House Declines to Provide Storm Papers (New York Times, 1/25/2006)
U.S. ruling dismisses Arar lawsuit (Toronto Star, 2/17/2006)
U.S. Reclassifies Many Documents in Secret Review (New York Times, 2/21/2006)
White House spin reaches science research (Christian Science Monitor, 3/2/2006)
Archives OK'd Removing Records, Kept Quiet (Associated Press, 4/12/2006)
SEC Watchdog's Data Request Snags on Fee Fight (Wall Street Journal, 4/18/2006)
Bush team imposes thick veil of secrecy (Chicago Tribune, 4/30/2006)
ICRC: Rice, Rumsfeld block access to detainees (Reuters, 5/12/2006)
Secrecy Privilege Invoked in Fighting Ex-Detainee's Lawsuit (Washington Post, 5/13/2006)
State secrets privilege slams door on civil suits (Chicago Tribune, 5/24/2006)
Cheney's Office Declares Exemption From Secrecy Oversight (The NewStandard, 6/7/2006)
FOIA Getting 'Flabby' -- As It Turns 40 on July 4th (Editor & Publisher, 7/4/2006)
Bob Richter: Going after the Freedom of Information Act is a slippery slope (San Antonio Express-News, 7/9/2006)
Senator Faults Bid to Classify Report on Iraq (New York Times, 8/4/2006)
Classified intelligence bills often are unread (Boston Globe, 8/6/2006)
Here's some miscellaneous links to web sites:
Hiding the Truth? President Bush's Need-to-Know Democracy
The White House's White-Out Problem
Bush Secrecy
Secret Agreement Reveals Covert Program to Hide Reclassification from Public
