Corrupt behavior most often occurs in secrecy, behind closed doors. Therefore, the most effective way to prevent government corruption is to make the activities of public officials transparent to the American people. Federal open records laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), provide access to government documents and public records. State “sunshine” laws also provide the means by which the public can gain access to government documents and scrutinize the behavior of public officials. The following are descriptions of the most important open records laws and how they work.

• The Freedom of Information Act - text of the FOIA
• The Privacy Act - text of the Privacy Act
• A Citizen's Guide to the Freedom of Information Act - The House Committee on Government Reform Guide to requesting government records. The Guide, House Report 109-226, was published in September 2005.

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