Excessive government secrecy and the presidential election

How secretive would a second Trump or a Harris administration be? And how much could either presidential candidate rein in the government’s sprawling secrecy system if they wanted to?

The answers to these important questions will impact every American, because excessive secrecy undercuts the promise of a free press, effective oversight, and the public’s ability to self govern.

I’ve analyzed past stances of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on key transparency issues, including access to presidential records, agency compliance with congressional oversight requests, and press freedom issues, to get a sense of what may come.

I’ve also surveyed the ways successive presidents have failed to rein in needless secrecy. From agencies routinely ignoring presidential instructions to be more transparent, to convincing multiple administrations that their records (and their budgets) are too sensitive to see the light of day, I’ve highlighted the key secrecy issues that will need to be addressed regardless of who wins the election.