Presidential Privilege and the Freedom of Information Act

by Kevin M. Baron

Overview

The Freedom of Information Act, developed at the height of the Cold War, highlighted the power struggles between Congress and the president in that tumultuous era. By drawing on previously unseen primary source material and exhaustive archival research, this book reveals the largely untold and fascinating narrative of the development of the FOIA, and demonstrates how this single policy issue transformed presidential behaviour. The author explores the policy's lasting influence on the politics surrounding contemporary debates on government secrecy, public records and the public's 'right to know', and examines the modern development and use of 'executive privilege'.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781474442459
Publisher:	Edinburgh University Press
Publication date:	11/03/2020
Series:	New Perspectives on the American Presidency
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.49(d)

About the Author

Kevin M. Baron is Assistant Professor in Politics at Austin Peay State Universityin Tennessee. Kevin’s research focuses on Congress and the Presidency, paying particular attention to the politics of policymaking.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Truman and the Shift to a Cold War Paradigm Mindset; 3. Eisenhower’s Executive Privilege and the Public Interest; 4. Kennedy and the Democratic Political Considerations of Compromise; 5. LBJ and the Politics of Passing FOIA; 6. Nixon and the Resurgence of Executive Privilege; 7. Ford and Veto Bargaining Over Amending FOIA; 8. Conclusion – The Future of FOIA and Executive Privilege; Bibliography.

What People are Saying About This

Kevin Baron has developed a dynamic model, nested within a social learning perspective, to explain policy formation as a function of double feedback loops. He examines the legislative development of FOIA from 1946–76 revealing the effectiveness of a learned response behaviour to executive privilege in issue evolution.

Georgia College Keith Lee

Kevin Baron has developed a dynamic model, nested within a social learning perspective, to explain policy formation as a function of double feedback loops. He examines the legislative development of FOIA from 1946–76 revealing the effectiveness of a learned response behaviour to executive privilege in issue evolution.

Editorial Reviews

Kevin Baron has developed a dynamic model, nested within a social learning perspective, to explain policy formation as a function of double feedback loops. He examines the legislative development of FOIA from 1946–76 revealing the effectiveness of a learned response behaviour to executive privilege in issue evolution.

Georgia College Keith Lee