A study recently published in the Journal of Mathematics Instruction, Social Research and Opinion found that while 92% residents in Budhanilkantha, Nepal, understood the importance of transparency in creating good government, only a quarter sought information from the government.

Khila Nath Sapkota of Tribhuvan University surveyed 120 people from the municipality to explore good governance practices and public service delivery by elected representatives and administrative staff in the area. While the study notes that 25% is a low engagement number, it’s still relatively high in comparison to other countries around the globe.

For example, in Mexico, about a million requests are submitted annually to all levels of government, which represent only about 0.8% of the population. It’s likely even lower in the United States. After all, if you look around your friends and family, do one out of four submit public records requests?

The research highlights the need for engaging citizens in their right to know.

”If average people don’t care about government transparency, then sure as heck the government won’t,” said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner FOI Project. “Education about freedom of information should be in every school in America – it’s basic civics.” 

National Sunshine Week is one way that journalists, government agencies, and civil society groups can educate the public. The effort, March 16-22, 2025, is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and will feature an in-person “Sunshine Fest” in Washington, D.C. 

Cuillier said more needs to be done. Surveys of Americans show they value government transparency in the abstract, but are becoming more and more protective of personal privacy, and less aware of the benefits of public records. 

“Can we, like Nepal, get 25% of citizens to seek out information from the government that affects their lives?” Cuillier said. “They have to want it, they have to know how to get it, and they need the laws and tools to do so.” 

Posted: January 9, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, FOI, Government Transparency, research