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The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 mandates that the executive branch of the federal government must release its records upon request. Those records may be withheld, however, if they fall into one of nine categories, including national security and an individual's right to privacy. An FOIA request can be made by "any person" -- that includes American citizens as well as foreign nationals. Once a request has been made, it's up to the government to honor it or submit a denial for judicial review. The FOIA category in the Yahoo! Directory features a number of
helpful resources, including this Citizen's Guide on Using the FOIA. Requests must be written, and must be answered by the government within 20 days. However, delays are quite common. The Reporters Commitee for Freedom of the Press offers a handy fill-in-the-blanks FOIA letter generator. As a result of a recent FOIA request, hundreds of photographs of military coffins returning from Iraq were released. Over the past two decades, the FOIA has proved instrumental in uncovering an array of government oversights and Cold War plots.
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