Public Access to Congressional Support Agency Information in the Technological Age: Case Studies

摘要

The Congressional support agencies (Congressional Research Service, General Accounting Office and Office of Technology Assessment) were created for the primary purpose of providing Congress with information and analysis necessary for high quality decision-making. Unlike the previous case studies of traditionally public congressional materials, there is no automatic presumption of public access of this material. Most current support agency products are available to that small segment of the public who know enough to use their congressional office contacts and to those knowing of the availability of selected materials through the depository library program. Although support agency materials will never have a wide general audience, few inside or outside of Congress feel that the current dissemination procedures satisfy the potential demand. The use of new technology has already revealed that once the Congress discards a document for its own electronic version, the printed product will become less available, and/or be available in a less timely manner. After assuring efficient accomplishment of its legislative responsibilities, Congress's next priority must lie in harnessing new technology to expand access rather than limit it. The document is based in part on interviews with support agency staff. The document also reflects in part support agency review comments, which have been incorporated where appropriate.