More on Openness in Government

President Obama’s executive orders on day one of his ascension to office were heartening to observers who desire open government. Much remains to be done to bring his stated policy into effect, but he began immediately and his intentions are clear and wise.

Another important part of this enlightenment process, not mentioned but inextricably tied to open and accessible government, should be part of this proposed reform. It is incorporating plain English into ALL government rules and regulations.

Much government legalese and jargon is dense and incomprehensible. I have four college degrees and cannot comprehend many sections of the laws that govern me. Imagine someone with less education encountering a maze of heretofores, notwithstandings, subsections, infras, Latinisms, legalese, bureaucratese and jargon. What good are open documents if they are not comprehensible?

President Carter tried to do something about this problem, but his success was limited, and the problem continues, and proliferates. This administration would make a major contribution to public edification and government accessibility if it included in its reforms of secrecy laws improving the comprehensibility of those laws and records once they are available. If it starts soon, President Obama could leave office having truly provided the American public with a government that is open to all the people.

Ronald Goldfarb, a Washington attorney and author, taught a course to judges and government attorneys on legal writing. He co-authored Clear Understandings: A Guide to Legal Writing with Dean James Raymond.