A Snapshot of FOIA Administration: Examining Recent Trends to Inform Future Research

Abstract

This article provides a snapshot of the administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the U.S. federal government. Specifically, using data from all federal government agencies from 2008 to 2016, the article examines indicators of FOIA caseloads, including requests, exemptions, denials, appeals, and backlogs, and FOIA management capacity, including staff, financial issues, and processing times. The snapshot not only highlights recent trends in the administration of FOIA but also informs future research by identifying areas that deserve additional attention, revealing potential sampling or case identification strategies for empirical work, and shedding light on variables that may have implications for theory building.

Keywords: FOIA, Management, Transparency