The Number One Reason Why I Want My Government To Be Transparent

Whether we are dealing with the federal government, the state government, or the local county/municipal government, transparency remains equally important. We elect representatives to reflect the values and concerns of their constituents, assuming that they are and can be held accountable for their actions. A fully transparent government allows for that to occur — It gives the people the proper tools to closely monitor their representatives' actions, ranging from their decisions on monetary issues, such as spending, to knowing which lobbyists and interest groups they meet with. In short, transparency is good for everyone except the corrupt.

We need to be able to access any information that our government has, from the local level upward. By increasing government transparency, corruption goes down. In a fully transparent system, officials cannot hide any information from the people. As citizens, we need to be engaged and stop our officials from dodging responsibility. If we can establish a truly transparent government, we would see a lot more representatives and a lot fewer politicians.