George F. Will Quotes

In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions.

Access to government-held information allows citizens to hold their government accountable for policy decisions and public expenditures…. Access to information bridges the gap between state and society ….

We should be able to go to our government and get clear answers.

No one in government should ever think that the citizens they work for can't or won't scrutinize their actions.

We need to keep pressure on our own governments to force more and more transparency.

Certainly accountability of government is what people are clamoring for; they want to know that when lawmakers make a promise or a proposal, you can actually accomplish it.

We see more and more of our Presidents and know less and less about what they do.

The people have a right to know—no, a duty to know—what the army is doing in our name.

It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.

Although governments will also benefit from improved access to information, increased transparency will allow people at home and abroad to better observe and critique what governments do and to hold leaders accountable for their decisions. As a result, governments will find it harder to adopt strategies that require secrecy or violate international norms.

A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both.

People should hold elected officials accountable for how they vote. Period.

The only way we are held accountable is if people know what government is doing.

Everything is about accountability to the American people, accountability of the executive branch ... [and] accountability of the oversight of the Congress.

The threat is that the public will know what the government is up to. Any system of power is going to want to keep free from public surveillance, that's natural. Its shouldn't be but, its very natural.

As long as the government's actions are secret, it cannot be held accountable. A government for the people and by the people should be transparent to the people.

It's my father's legacy. My father's view was that the public is the employer of these government employees and has the right to know what they're up to.

The Transparency Bill is something we should all support - practical steps in promoting an open and accountable democracy.

I believe transparency in government is key to restoring our nation's faith in its elected leaders.

Ever since I arrived in Washington in April 2009, I have been fighting for more transparency and accountability in government.

Government must be a transparent garment which tightly clings to the people's body.

We need more transparency and accountability in government so that people know how their money is being spent. That means putting budgets online, putting legislation online.

I think there's been a decline in the public's access to what's being done with their tax dollars, what's being done in their name. I hope that that will be repaired.

If something is being done on a secret basis in national security, that's a great reason for elected officials to not talk about it. And that's a great way to shirk accountability for it with the public.

For students, understanding the separate and unique functions of each branch of government can help them understand how different kinds of government officials can help solve different kinds of problems.