democratically-elected government,

Operating within a democratically-elected government, federal agencies have regulatory functional responsibilities that vary widely in terms of both function and scope, but all are intended to protect and/or advance the common good. A critical component of these administrative regulatory functions to be accepted as legitimate by the public-at-large is a transparent and accessible government. This week’s assignment focuses on this critical component of transparency, a fundamental prerequisite for a representative government.

Prepare a research paper in which you include the following:

• Define and explore the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
• Examine the Privacy Act and provide specific examples.
• Confirm whether the FOIA and Privacy Acts are necessary to maintain government transparency and accountability to the public. Be sure to thoroughly explain your answer and support your thoughts with a specific justification and/or examples.

Support your assignment with at least five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.

Length: 5 pages, not including title and reference pages

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards