A May study titled “Lessons from the Dissolution of Mexico’s Information Commission” examines the March closure of Mexico’s national transparency commission. Researchers Gregory Michener, Margaret Kwoka, and others analyzed the shutdown and identified lack of public engagement as a key factor. 

The commission, once regarded as a global model for freedom of information (FOI), was dissolved after political changes and declining public interest. The study concludes that FOI systems are more vulnerable when the public does not view them as relevant to daily life. 

The findings apply to more than 60 countries with FOI commissions and U.S. states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, which have similar enforcement models. The study also aligns with a 2022 recommendation by the FOIA Advisory Committee to establish an independent federal FOI commission for the U.S. federal government. 

Read the full study here. 

Posted: June 5, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOI, FOIA, open records laws, public records