Freedom of Information Day is an annual event on or near March 16, the birthday of James Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and the foremost advocate for openness in government.
From The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 5447—Freedom of Information Day, 1986, “March 16 is the anniversary of the birth of James Madison, our fourth President and one of the principal figures in the Constitutional Convention. Madison eloquently expressed the guarantees in the Bill of Rights, in particular in the freedoms of religion, speech, and of the press protected by the First Amendment. He understood the value of information in a democratic society, as well as the importance of its free and open dissemination. He believed that through the interaction of the Government and its citizens, facilitated by a free press and open access to information, the Government could be most responsive to the people it serves. Surely the American experience has proved him right.
Learn about the Freedom of Information Act and the process of submitting a FOIA request: foia.gov
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