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"The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America's Top Secrets" by Matthew Connelly is a thought-provoking book that sheds light on the state of American archives and access to classified information. Connelly argues that excessive classification of information by the government is hindering public understanding of political events and impeding accountability. He emphasizes the need for a rational, risk management approach to declassification in order to balance national security concerns with the public's right to know. The book also explores the historical origins of secrecy in the US and its implications for democracy. Connelly's research project at Columbia University's History Lab developed algorithms to uncover redacted information in declassified documents, revealing hidden knowledge and challenging the effectiveness of secrecy. The book raises important questions about the role of classification in avoiding accountability and the potential loss of historical records due to the overwhelming volume of classified material. [Extracted from the article]

Discusses the enactment of laws governing classified and unclassified information in the U.S. Secrecy initiatives of the government; Proposed amendments to the freedom of information act; Amendment of the atomic energy act that prohibits unauthorized dissemination of unclassified information pertaining to Energy Department; Enactment of the export administration act or the arms export control act.

The article comments on the injunction issued on March 26, 1979 by the federal court judge in Milwaukee on "The Progressive" magazine in publishing an article which allegedly included information on the mechanics of Hydrogen bomb. The injunction is a blow against freedom. constitutes prior restraint, and violates the First Amendment of the Constitution. Furthermore, the U.S. government has not demonstrated that the publication will cause any threat to national security. In writing the article, there is no proof that the author came in contact with classified documents.

Continued secrecy surrounding signals intelligence during the Cold War has profoundly distorted the historical record, making a full and accurate military, diplomatic, and presidential history of the last half century impossible for now. Not only history, but the ongoing intelligence enterprise itself, would be better served by significantly greater openness. This article is adapted from the Schorreck Memorial Lecture in Cryptologic History, presented by the author at the National Cryptologic Museum, Ft. Meade, Maryland, 24 May 2010, and the National Security Agency, 26 May 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2006, the Bush administration launched a variety of new attacks on the press following the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. Leakers and the recipients of leaks were targeted for criticism and denunciation, and were threatened with prosecution. The very real possibility of a de facto Official Secrets Act no longer seemed unthinkable in the context of the continuing war on terror. Yet the government's obsession with secrecy did not begin with the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Bush administration's contempt for the public's right to know amounts to an organized assault on freedom of information that is unprecedented since the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act forty years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on public records policy in Great Britain, specifically the privileged access arrangement. It discusses the lead role played by the press in battling against the shroud of government secrecy. It outlines the major developments which have taken place in the debate over public records policy. It explains the grounds for closing material for more than 30 years and for retaining material. It discusses the effect of closed files and the destruction of official records on research.