Analysis Quote by Antonin Scalia
![“[The Freedom of Information Act is] the Taj Mahal of the Doctrine of Unanticipated Consequences, the Sistine Chapel of Cost-Benefit Analysis Ignored.” quote by Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/401/antonin-scalia-2855_analysis_the-freedom-of-information-act-is-the-ta_2264645.jpg)
“[The Freedom of Information Act is] the Taj Mahal of the Doctrine of Unanticipated Consequences, the Sistine Chapel of Cost-Benefit Analysis Ignored.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on the Freedom of Information Act, 2008
The Act’s unintended effects are monumental, likened to famed monuments, highlighting overlooked costs and benefits.
In simple terms: FOIA’s hidden impacts are massive.
Key Takeaway
Consider both benefits and hidden costs.
Themes
law
policy
transparency
unintended consequences
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- government oversight
- media investigations
- public records requests
- budget planning
Key Concepts
cost‑benefit analysis
public accountability
legislative foresight
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden costs do you see in transparency laws?
- How can we better balance openness with expense?
A Different Perspective
Complexities may be oversimplified.
![“Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." [...] But since the Freedom of Information Act, I'm afraid to say things like that.” quote by Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6dc/henry-a-kissinger-1068_freedom_before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i_25339.jpg)
![“Who ever thought that intimacy and spirituality [whatever that means] were freedoms? And if intimacy is, one would think Freedom of Intimacy is abridged rather than expanded by marriage. Ask the nearest hippie.” quote by Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a97/antonin-scalia-2855_asks_who-ever-thought-that-intimacy-and-spiri_253148.jpg)
