The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was created to allow any American citizen the right to view records developed by the federal government. However, information that falls under one of the nine exemptions cannot be viewed. This includes trade secrets, law enforcement records, personnel files, and geophysical information among others.
The American agency that administers the work proposed in FOIA is the Archive. The Archive contains published material that has been collected from the FOIA act, Mandatory Declassification Review, presidential paper collections, congressional records, and court testimonies.
Yes, I believe the FOIA benefits the general public greatly because it allows them to know the truth. As a result, the government gains trust from the general public and the general public learns information that can prevent or aid future and current issues.
