Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2023
Publisher
Elsevier
Source Publication
Government Information Quarterly
Source ISSN
0740-624X
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2023.101879
Abstract
This study seeks to establish a foundation for how FOI fees are received by public record requesters, and how fees influence behavior across demographics and requester types. A survey of 330 public records requesters in the United States revealed sharp disparities in how requesters perceive fees. Private citizens, journalists, academics, and nonprofit requesters were more likely to identify excessive fees as a serious impediment, whereas commercial requesters and lawyers did not. The study also found differences in how fees are experienced at the federal, state, and local levels. Findings suggest that fees are particularly problematic for certain requester types, notably average citizens and those seeking records in the public interest, and that fees may therefore obstruct the public's ability to become informed and better self-govern. Based on democratic theory, this U.S.-based study provides caution and insights for governments throughout the world against imposing barriers that might obstruct civic participation.
Recommended Citation
Wagner, A. Jay and Cuillier, David, "To Fee or Not to Fee: Requester Attitudes toward Freedom of Information Charges" (2023). College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications. 627.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/comm_fac/627
Comments
Accepted version. Government Information Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 4 (October 2023). DOI. © Elsevier. Used with permission.