Americans think there are too many government secrets --- though many of those who say that believe the government has good reasons for having so many. In the latest Economist/YouGov Poll only 5% believe the government has been too open when it comes to the balance between secrecy and the public's right to know.
Americans continue to disapprove of the recent WikiLeaks release of thousands of State Department documents; most don't want to see any more --- especially if there is any threat to national security. Only 21% approve of the WikiLeaks release; just 14% say WikiLeaks should continue doing so (35% would support WikiLeaks as long as there was no threat to national security).
The public distinguishes between national security threats and documents that are simply embarrassing. Majorities see national security and possible violation of privacy as justification for secrecy; but majorities say keeping information that might show the government committed illegal actions or could embarrass diplomats is not.
Which of the following do you think justifies government secrecy?
| Justifies secrecy | Does not justify secrecy | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|
The President decrees that release of the information would harm national security | 63% | 16% | 21% |
Release of the information would disclose trade secrets that could harm individual businesses | 49% | 27% | 24% |
The information is personal and would violate an individual's right to privacy | 57% | 19% | 24% |
The information is embarrassing to government diplomats and could harm their standing in the international community | 25% | 55% | 21% |
Releasing the information would be time consuming and burdensome to the agency that must prepare the data | 9% | 71% | 20% |
Releasing the information would reveal illegal actions on the part of the government | 11% | 71% | 18% |
