Presentation on Administrative Activities
An administrative agency’s activities can be varied, yet each serves a relevant purpose in assisting an agency in performing its duties. Depict agency activities and dictate how monitoring mechanisms provide access to information related to agency functions.
Specifically, address the following in your PowerPoint presentation:
• Synthesize the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
• Compile key points of the Privacy Act.
• Dictate why you think the FOIA, and Privacy Act are necessary.
• Portray the effect lobbying has on public opinion of these Acts.
• Depict whether lobbying rules and regulations regarding these Acts should be changed.
• Address any areas of improvement you can find and justify the improvements.
Provide specific examples to detail your presentation.
Sample Solution
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was established to provide the public with information about the activities and operations of government agencies by allowing them to request access to documents, records, and other materials that are maintained by federal agencies. This act is significant because it allows for transparency within an agency’s inner workings as well as providing a mechanism for citizens to hold their government accountable for its actions. Additionally, FOIA provides additional protection from government overreach in terms of individual privacy rights.
The Privacy Act serves as a complement to FOIA in that it regulates how personal information can be collected, used and disclosed by federal departments or agencies. It also sets restrictions on the disclosure of such information without first obtaining consent from the subjects which further protects individuals’ right to privacy. Furthermore, this act requires all federal departments or agencies to maintain records of any requests they receive related to personal data.
Since there is no way of knowing what kind of activities are occurring within a particular governmental agency without having access to the appropriate internal documents or records; both FOIA and The Privacy Act provide important access points through which citizens can obtain meaningful insight into their government’s operations whilst at the same time preserving their own confidentiality (FTC 2020). It is for these reasons then that both acts should continue being enforced as necessary tools for monitoring governmental activity and protecting against potential abuses.
