Sunshine Week: What would James Madison think of government transparency today? | Opinion

Imagine for a moment a fractured country struggling to maintain its footing.

Its leaders, paralyzed by combative differences. A polarized public growing increasingly disenfranchised.

This could describe modern-day America. But more than 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers also wrestled with growing political unrest and sought ways to guarantee transparency in government.

We can thank President James Madison, whose passion for open government and the freedom of information laid the foundation for the liberties we enjoy today. In an 1822 letter, Madison wrote: “… a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” He was a fervent advocate for transparency and open government, firmly of the mind that citizens should not be sheltered from its operations, and should fight for the right to do so.

Today, we continue his pursuit of public access and honor it with Sunshine Week, a national celebration of open government. March 12-18 is the official week-long observance, which coincides with Freedom of Information Day on March 16, Madison’s birthday.

It’s an interesting exercise to consider how Madison might view today’s modern world, and the many interpretations of his Constitution (Madison is considered by many to be its architect). Today’s examples of missing texts and emails from elected officials are technically beyond anything he could have even envisioned. But, the principles he advocated for — access to public records, open meetings and transparency in government — remain all too relevant.

I’d like to think Madison would also be impressed by some of the guardrails put in place by modern leaders and citizens to ensure access to public information. Our state continues to be a leader in “sunshine” — our weather notwithstanding.

Case in point: Washington’s Public Records Act. Approved by the voters in 1972, Initiative 276 required that most records maintained by state, county and city governments be made available to members of the public. Under the act, public officials are required to release an array of public documents ranging from elected officials’ calendars and emails to texts, voicemails and other materials. The original open records law included just 10 narrow exceptions outlining which government records must be open to the public. Today, there are more than 500 exemptions, with more added each legislative session. Having this in place reflects our state’s commitment to the idea of open government, so the public knows what its leaders are actually doing.

The same can be said for another unique resource: TVW, Washington’s public affairs network.

For nearly 30 years, TVW has provided unfiltered, non-partisan, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Washington State Legislature, the State Supreme Court, the Office of the Governor, elections, civic debates, countless meetings of state agencies and commissions and public policy events. As a non-partisan TV and streaming network, TVW lets the people observe meetings, legislative hearings and other public proceedings and decide for themselves. This was never more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when TVW was the only way to access the Legislature or other state activities. It remains the public’s front-row seat to watch state government in action, anywhere, at any time.

In addition to showing people their government in action, TVW also invests in educational programs to help people better understand how government actually works. Our Teach with TVW civics classes, crafted with the assistance of social studies teachers, give students a chance to track real legislation, debate the merits of the bill and follow its progress. This is perhaps one of the best ways of perpetuating Madison’s sunshine — arming people with “the power that knowledge gives.”

Again, while the former president could not have imagined the delivery model, he would surely recognize TVW’s intrinsic value to the principles he promoted.

We can only guess what our government might look like 100 years from now. Our continued adherence to the principles and values established by James Madison will serve as insurance that whatever it looks like, the people will still have access, and that transparency remains a valued part of the democratic process.

Sunshine. That’s a birthday gift we can all appreciate.

Renee Radcliff Sinclair, a former state representative, is the president and CEO of TVW.