James Madison’s birthday is an exciting time for open-government wonks.  Madison, the father of our Constitution and fourth president, was an outspoken advocate of open government.  This is why we dedicate an entire week to heightened public advocacy of transparency issues through public events, legislative initiatives, and op-eds.  This year offers several opportunities for public participation.

Today, the Justice Department released a pivotal policy statement on the way the Obama administration will govern use of the state secrets privilege.  The new policy will be implemented on Oct. 1.  This is a welcome step toward President Obama’s promise of an unprecedented level of openness and away from the former administration’s “just trust us” approach when using the privilege to withhold evidence in lawsuits against the government.  While it seems highly likely that previous administrations have used the unfettered privilege to avoid embarrassment or corruption charges, the Obama administration has limited its use to national security purposes.

On Aug. 25, The National Security Archive published an online database of over 83,000 federal government documents related to the detention and interrogation of individuals by the United States during the “global war on terror” as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This database serves as a central point of access for documents obtained through whistleblowers, litigation, and the Freedom of Information Act.

The House Homeland Security Committee this week considered legislation that would greatly reduce the risks and consequences of a terrorist attack on a chemical facility. The bill would enhance and reauthorize the flawed and inadequate existing security rules that are due to expire in October. It is crucial that Congress quickly pass and the President sign this security legislation so no more time is lost while millions of people are needlessly put at risk.