If it’s going to rain, Mr. President, just say so
Throughout U.S. history, the question of how much secrecy is justified in a democratic government has been a subject of recurring debate. It is an issue that has long absorbed Mary Graham, co-director of the Transparency Policy Project at the Kennedy School of Government. In her new book, “Presidents’ Secrets: The Use and Abuse of Hidden Power,” Graham traces how some presidents have intentionally or inadvertently cloaked governmental actions in excessive secrecy, and how others have helped usher in greater openness. The Gazette spoke to Graham about her view that presidents and the nations they lead suffer from overly secret policies, and the prospects for transparent government under President Trump. GAZETTE: Your books seems a clarion call reminding us both how important and how fragile transparency and openness is to a democratic government. What makes you passionate about that message? GRAHAM: All my work has been about the informed public, really from the time...