What is the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that is intended to provide American citizens with access to government-held information and records. The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act is to promote transparency and accountability within the government. This allows individuals to have access to information regarding the workings of their government, as well as documents and records that involve the spending of taxpayer dollars. The act permits the public to request records from all federal agencies. If the information is of public interest, and not exempt from disclosure, then the agency must provide the requested documents to the requester. The agency must respond to the FOIA request within 20 days. However, this time limit can be extended in some cases. The act also provides individuals with the right to inspect federal agency records that are not available on government websites or publicly accessible portals. The act does not guarantee access to all documents, however. Some documents are exempt from disclosure, such as confidential law enforcement records, privileged communication records, and private business information. The Freedom of Information Act is an important law that gives citizens the power to hold their government accountable and ensure transparency in government operations. It is an essential tool for journalists and researchers to gain access to important documents and records that would otherwise not be available to the public.

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What is the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act?

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