A new study published in the Journal of Civic Information finds that the states with open government coalitions, like the First Amendment Foundation, are more likely to have counties that are more transparent, resulting in faster, more complete responses and more communication during the public records process. Advocacy organizations can independently advocate for compliance with public records laws.
The study also found that a legislature subject to freedom of information requirements also correlated with better outcomes. The study author, A.Jay Wagner, notes that this result could be due to the interest in transparency when a legislative body opts into disclosure. Both advocacy organizations and a willing legislature contribute to a culture of transparency.
Read the article in the Journal of Civic information.