Political Secrecy and Cultural Conflict

Abstract

The recent constitutional crisis in the United States and the remedial process related thereto points towarda renewed interest in the value offormal norms for maintaining accountability in the use of secrecy in politics and administration. Since formal norms require effective forms of mediation to establish their operational value, this paper inquires into the relation between mediating processes and constitutional as well as bureaucratic norms. The cleavage in the principles of the polity caused by the cooptation process in domestic affairs and the requirements of national security are examined as they affect the responsible use of secrecy.