Blacked Out

Alasdair Roberts is the Rappaport Professor of Law and Public Policy at Suffolk University Law School. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow of the Department of Political Science, University College London. He received his law degree from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University. His research focuses on two areas: public sector restructuring and open government.

• 1. The glass case; Part I. Context: 2. Secrecy and security; 3. Gulliver; 4. Message discipline; 5. Soft states; Part II. Structure: 6. Opaque networks; 7. The corporate evil; 8. Remote control; Part III. Technology: 9. Liquid paper; Part IV. Conclusion: 10. We like to watch; Notes.

Alasdair Roberts' Blacked Out is a fast-paced, well-informed and engrossing account of the emergence of a worldwide movement to hold governments accountable by requiring them to disclose information they would rather withhold to conceal corruption, bureaucratic incompetence, environmental degradation, human rights abuses and other misconduct. It is essential reading for proponents of open societies. -Aryeh Neier, President, Open Society Institute