The FOIA also known as “Freedom of Information Act” is a system that was set up for scholars and students in different areas who wished to have access on certain declassified data. In the article “Unredacted” it is mentioned, “The Archive also serves as a repository of government records on a wide range of topics pertaining to the national security, foreign, intelligence, and economic policies of the United States” (para.1). Before this act came about many people did not have admittance to such information. Throughout this article the author explains how important it is for people around the world to be informed about what is going on, whether if it is just for personal knowledge or for a research paper.
The Archive staff members are in charge of locating certain information regarding the U.S. government and their agencies as stated in the article, ” Archive staff members systematically track U.S. government agencies and federal records repositories for documents that either have never been released before, or that help to shed light on the decision-making process of the U.S. government and provide the historical context underlying those decisions” (para.2). The American agency that administers the work that is proposed in the FOIA is a non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University. Another way of accessing information from this Archive collection is through the web on nsa.org. I believe it does benefit citizens all over because it helps us justify certain situations and as it said in the article it also assists on decision making as well. Everyone has the right to know what is going on around the world whether its good or bad. We deserve to be informed at all times.
