--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would like to see transparency become…" description: "\"I would like to see transparency become the default for the American government: Abolish the Freedom of Information Act so we don't have to ask governm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/jeff-jarvis-19696_american-government_i-would-like-to-see-transparency-become_482195.jpg" --- # I would like to see transparency become the default for… ![“I would like to see transparency become the default for the American government: Abolish the Freedom of Information Act so we don't have to ask government for information but government must ask to keep information from us. The more transparent government is, the more collaborative it can become…” quote by Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/jeff-jarvis-19696_american-government_i-would-like-to-see-transparency-become_482195.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/jeff-jarvis-19696_american-government_i-would-like-to-see-transparency-become_482195.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/jeff-jarvis-19696_american-government_i-would-like-to-see-transparency-become_482195.jpg) > “I would like to see transparency become the default for the American government: Abolish the Freedom of Information Act so we don't have to ask government for information but government must ask to keep information from us. The more transparent government is, the more collaborative it can become. The more our officials learn to trust us - with information and a role in government - the more we can trust them.” [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government transparency should be the norm, with officials proactively sharing information, fostering trust and collaboration. **In simple terms:** Make government information open by default. Key Takeaway Demand proactive openness. Themes government transparency trust collaboration Mood critical hopeful Type analytical visionary When to use this quote - policy making - public relations - citizen engagement Key Concepts open data public accountability Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure honest disclosure? - How can citizens hold officials accountable? A Different Perspective Changing laws may face political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-government/) [Information Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-government-1308820/) [Information Transparent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-transparent-3240184/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency/) [Transparent Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparent-government-1522156/) ## Related quotes > [I am convinced that in order for you, as a patient, to be protected, it has to be transparent, evidence-based, objective information. Not self-serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/i-am-convinced-that-in-order-for-you-as-a-patient-to-be-protected-it/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [We need to deliver efficient, transparent government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/we-need-to-deliver-efficient-transparent-government/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I think there was something started under my father that I appreciate that it's time to end, and I like the symmetry of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/i-think-there-was-something-started-under-my-father-that-i-appreciate/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [“In the run-up to the election, Stephen Harper had rolled out the rhetoric on the need for clean and transparent government, expressing frustration with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/in-the-run-up-to-the-election-stephen-harper-had-rolled-out-the/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [Our democratic values also include - and our national security demands - open and transparent government. Some information obviously needs to be protected. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/our-democratic-values-also-include-and-our-national-security-demands/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [We are world leaders in open and transparent government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grayling/we-are-world-leaders-in-open-and-transparent-government/) [Chris Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grayling/) > [“To recap: it is possible to put decent information into a Government Machine, have ordinary, good people running the thing, and a reasonable system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/to-recap-it-is-possible-to-put-decent-information-into-a-government/) [Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/) > [Our system of checks and balances requires policymakers to have accurate information about government actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-feinstein/our-system-of-checks-and-balances-requires-policymakers-to-have/) [Dianne Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-feinstein/) > [ “As opposition leader, \[Stephen Harper\] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrote-in-the-montreal-gazette-in/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [I have many times made public information that the government wanted to keep secret, information that the public has a right to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/i-have-many-times-made-public-information-that-the-government-wanted/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Companies should be able to share specific threat information with the government without the prospect of lawsuits hanging over their head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/companies-should-be-able-to-share-specific-threat-information-with/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets have a great deal of information about all of us - and the government wants to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/twitter-facebook-and-other-social-media-outlets-have-a-great-deal-of/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [WikiLeaks has been a very strong proponent of the Freedom of Information Act. This is probably, actually, if you think about it, probably against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-has-been-a-very-strong-proponent-of-the-freedom-of/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [In Washington, the accepted method for passing along information about how the government fails to meet real-world needs is to leak it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/in-washington-the-accepted-method-for-passing-along-information-about/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [“For the same reason , the American government has invented a completely new juridical category , that of 'illegal enemy combatants'. In general, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzvetan-todorov/for-the-same-reason-the-american-government-has-invented-a-completely/) [Tzvetan Todorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzvetan-todorov/) ## More by Jeff Jarvis > [What’s insidious about the fear of what others will say is that you rarely hear them say it. You imagine what they’d say. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/what-s-insidious-about-the-fear-of-what-others-will-say-is-that-you/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“Writing in Library Journal, Ben Vershbow of the Institute for the Future of Book envisioned a digital ecology in which "parts of books will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/writing-in-library-journal-ben-vershbow-of-the-institute-for-the/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [The only sane response to change is to find the opportunity in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/the-only-sane-response-to-change-is-to-find-the-opportunity-in-it/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [I wish that Google would realize its own power in the cause of free speech. Google lives and profits by free speech and must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/i-wish-that-google-would-realize-its-own-power-in-the-cause-of-free/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [Make linking to the rest an essential part of what you do best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/make-linking-to-the-rest-an-essential-part-of-what-you-do-best/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“This practically unlimited supply of advertisers in a fluid marketplace appears to be a new economic model that may insulate Google from some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/this-practically-unlimited-supply-of-advertisers-in-a-fluid/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [Just as our kids don't understand the difference between broadcast and cable, the line between TV and Internet TV is about to disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/just-as-our-kids-don-t-understand-the-difference-between-broadcast/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“Where some see a new world disorder, others see the opportunity to bring organization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/where-some-see-a-new-world-disorder-others-see-the-opportunity-to/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“Indeed, education is one of the institutions most deserving of disruption--and with the greatest opportunities to come of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/indeed-education-is-one-of-the-institutions-most-deserving-of/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [If I had followed my own rules - if I had eaten my own dog food - I would have created a digital book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/if-i-had-followed-my-own-rules-if-i-had-eaten-my-own-dog-food-i-would/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [Do what you do best, and link to the rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/do-what-you-do-best-and-link-to-the-rest/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“Serving targeted masses of niches—as Google does—is the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/serving-targeted-masses-of-niches-as-google-does-is-the-future/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [I wish that Google would realize its own power in the cause of free speech. The debate has been often held about Google's role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/i-wish-that-google-would-realize-its-own-power-in-the-cause-of-free-2/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [Get out of the way. This is actually Craig Newmark's law. As Google built the most powerful tool imaginable - the entire world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/get-out-of-the-way-this-is-actually-craig-newmark-s-law-as-google/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [“I believe the internet could prove to be as momentous an invention, as profound a platform. This is why we must protect the net…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/i-believe-the-internet-could-prove-to-be-as-momentous-an-invention-as/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) [Explore all 32 Jeff Jarvis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) ## More American government quotes > [“For the same reason , the American government has invented a completely new juridical category , that of 'illegal enemy combatants'. In general, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzvetan-todorov/for-the-same-reason-the-american-government-has-invented-a-completely/) [Tzvetan Todorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzvetan-todorov/) > [“vividly revealed the arms industry’s ‘constant tendency towards bribery, and the playing off of one country against another to sell arms’. It also exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/vividly-revealed-the-arms-industry-s-constant-tendency-towards/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Are they a secret part of the American government or a powerful private corporation? Is there a difference? To me, it doesn’t matter. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/are-they-a-secret-part-of-the-american-government-or-a-powerful/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“When we examine, not the language of the propaganda, but the witness of the combatants themselves, religion does not occupy the first place. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzvetan-todorov/when-we-examine-not-the-language-of-the-propaganda-but-the-witness-of/) [Tzvetan Todorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzvetan-todorov/) > [I'm an American. Why would I not go with my government?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hardy/i-m-an-american-why-would-i-not-go-with-my-government/) [Greg Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hardy/) > [I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-opposed-to-any-form-of-tyranny-over-the-mind-of-man/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ With almost no time to decide, \[your loved ones\] gave the entire country an incalculable gift. They saved the Capitol from attack. They saved… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/with-almost-no-time-to-decide-your-loved-ones-gave-the-entire-country/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [No. But then the American Government--whatever branch--has never really grasped the concept of tribal identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/no-but-then-the-american-government-whatever-branch-has-never-really/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“Whatever his disappointments, Hamilton, forty, must have left Philadelphia with an immense feeling of accomplishment. The Whiskey Rebellion had been suppressed, the country's finances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/whatever-his-disappointments-hamilton-forty-must-have-left/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [“American breweries preexisted American government; some of the breweries’ staunchest supporters were also the leaders of the new nation. In colonial America, the alehouse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nachel/american-breweries-preexisted-american-government-some-of-the/) [Marty Nachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nachel/) > [I know these days it sounds a little odd, but American governments are very fearful of European reaction. They were afraid we would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-know-these-days-it-sounds-a-little-odd-but-american-governments-are/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [“In 1786, Jefferson, then the American ambassador to France, and Adams, then the American ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-shoebat/in-1786-jefferson-then-the-american-ambassador-to-france-and-adams/) [Walid Shoebat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-shoebat/) > [“So we Europeans are shocked by the blind, uncomprehending hard-heartedness that certain American government policies imply. I am thinking of the terrible tariff walls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/so-we-europeans-are-shocked-by-the-blind-uncomprehending-hard/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/those-men-who-laid-the-foundation-of-this-american-government-and/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) [Browse all 189 American government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would like to see transparency become the default for the American government: Abolish the Freedom of Information Act so we don't have to ask government for information but government must ask to keep information from us. 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