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Sunshine Campaign Survey: Edwards

Published: December 25, 2007
Last Updated: December 25, 2007

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), a Democrat seeking the presidency, chided the Bush administration for building "a culture of secrecy that dishonors America's democratic principles of government openness and accountability. Rather than answering each Sunshine Campaign Survey question, Edwards responded with a series of topical statements on a handful of issues. "As president," he wrote in part, "I will work to restore Americans' trust in their government by creating a transparent government." Edwards also said he would establish an e-government system of "dynamic databases to help Americans track government spending, lobbying and campaign contributions as well as new interfaces for citizens to comment on pending bills and regulations."

Although Edwards did not address survey questions on topics such as classification, cameras in courtrooms or presidential records, he did pledge to rescind the Ashcroft memo limiting release of government information and to reduce the Freedom of Information Act request backlog. He also spoke out in defense of federal scientists, pledging that they "will be respected and they will never be censored … or pressured to bend scientific evidence to support an ideological agenda."

Note: Edwards responded to the survey with a series of topical statements. His statements appear below as they were received by Sunshine Week. Following that is a copy of the complete questionnaire.

Response from Senator John Edwards:

It's time for the American people to take responsibility for our government. If we have come to mistrust and question it, it is because we were not vigilant against the forces that have taken it from us. That their game has played on for so long is the fault of each of us — ending the game and returning government of the people to the people is the responsibility of all of us. We can not go on as two Americas with two political systems — one for the insiders who can buy unlimited access to our leaders, and another for the rest of us.

Ending Secrecy: The Bush administration has built a culture of secrecy that dishonors America’s democratic principles of government openness and accountability. As president, I will work to restore Americans’ trust in their government by creating a transparent administration. Just as my campaign has a policy of responding to all inquiries from the public, my administration will set a new standard for openness, accountability and responsiveness to the American people. For instance, I will use the Internet to open government to the regular people who are the engine of our democracy and our economy. My plan for an open e-government includes dynamic databases to help Americans track government spending, lobbying and campaign contributions as well as new interfaces for citizens to comment on pending bills and regulations.

Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act: In a democracy, the government is truly ours. The Freedom of Information Act is one expression of Americans’ ownership of their government, and we should ensure that this important law is given full effect. As president, I will work to reduce the backlog of FOIA requests. I will also rescind the Oct. 12, 2001 Ashcroft memo that gave government agencies cover for hiding documents from citizens.

Building an Open Administration: I will strive to nominate executive branch officials who share my views on the importance of open government. I will instruct members of my administration to make openness a priority when weighing the release of government information.

Respecting Science and Scientists: In the Edwards administration, scientists will be respected and they will never be censored — as they have been by the Bush administration — or pressured to bend scientific evidence to support an ideological agenda. I believe that policy should be science driven, and that science shouldn't be politics driven. I will make sure that government professionals charged with the collection and analysis of scientific data — from medical research to mercury emissions — are insulated from political influence. As president, I will eliminate political litmus tests for government scientists and protect the integrity of government science by prohibiting political appointees from overriding agencies’ scientific findings unless the chief White House science advisor concludes they are erroneous.

Sunshine Week 2008: The Sunshine Campaign Questionnaire

General Overview: In 500-1,000 words, please summarize your position on open government. What is your personal philosophy on citizen access to government information? You may attach the statement in a separate document, if you prefer.

Secrecy: There has been considerable discussion and commentary on the "growing culture of secrecy" in the federal government. A nationwide opinion poll conducted for Sunshine Week 2007 found that two-thirds of American adults believe the federal government is secretive. Do you agree or disagree? If you believe the equation needs changing, what would you do to address that?

Secrecy: Officials and agencies frequently withhold from the public memorandums exchanged in decision making, claiming that disclosure would chill the deliberative process. Critics of this practice say it deprives the public of vital information on how decisions are made. What is your view? If you disagree with the withholding, what would you do to bring about a change?

Classification of Information: Since 2000, the number of classification decisions has gone up markedly, while the total number of pages declassified has dropped sharply. What is your view on these trends? If you believe there are problems with overclassification or declassification, do you have specific corrective steps in mind?

Pseudo-Classification Information: The multiplicity of "sensitive but unclassified" markings and the lack of criteria to be used in safeguarding information have been called damaging to the flow of information both within the government and to the public. Do you agree? What changes to the system, if any, would you direct?

Confidential Sources: Do you believe there should be a reporter-source privilege, such as outlined in the proposed federal Free Flow of Information Act, to protect the identities of reporters' confidential sources? If yes, would you modify the bill in any way? If no, what are your objections?

Freedom of Information Act: In 2001, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a memo to federal agencies counseling them to withhold documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act if they find any legal basis for non-disclosure. He said the Justice Department would back them in court. This reversed the policy of Ashcroft's predecessor, Janet Reno, which called for a presumption of openness and urged agencies to release information if disclosure would do no harm. Where on this access to information spectrum would you want the view of your choice for Attorney General to fall? Would an open government philosophy be a factor in vetting your choice?

Access to Information: The backlog of unprocessed Freedom of Information Act requests has risen to almost 40 percent in recent years. What, if anything, can be done to reverse this trend and bring efficiency to the FOIA process?

Access to Information: Do you believe the Freedom of Information Act should be amended to cover the administrative functions of Congress and federal courts? Why or why not?

Presidential Records: In 2001, President Bush signed an executive order that grants control over the release of presidential records to former presidents and their families. As president, would you let that directive stand or reverse it? Why?

Contributions to Presidential Libraries: Do you support legislation that would require the names of donors to presidential libraries — and the amount they donated — to be public information? Why?

First Amendment Rights: As president, how would you set a tone that protects the First Amendment rights of federal scientists and ensures public and congressional access to taxpayer-funded science? Under your administration, will government scientific information be presumed to be publicly available unless a compelling reason is given to withhold it, or will information be presumed sensitive unless there is a compelling public benefit to its release?

Cameras in the Courtroom: What is your view on allowing television and still photography, as well as live video and audio coverage, in federal district and appellate courtrooms and in the Supreme Court?