
The Official Record
Oversight, National Security and Democracy
Manchester University Press
Published on 21. May 2024
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-1-5261-7432-1 (ISBN)
Description
The construction, control and preservation of the Official Record is inherently contested. Those seeking greater openness and (democratic) accountability argue 'sunlight is [...] the best of disinfectants', while others seek stricter information control because, to their mind, sound government arises when advice and policy are formulated secretly. This edited volume explores the intersection of the Official Record, oversight, national security and democracy. Through US, UK and Canadian case studies, this volume will benefit higher level undergraduate readers and above to explore the Official Record in the context of the national security operations of democratic states. All chapters are research-based pieces of original writing that feature a document appendix containing primary documents (often excerpts) that are key to a chapter's narrative. As a result, this book interrogates the boundaries between national security, accountability, oversight, and the Official Record. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'In March 2025, United States (US) based magazine, The Atlantic, published details of US government executives planning airstrikes on Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. Having been inadvertently added to a group on open source, encrypted chat platform, Signal, which included the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency Director, The Atlantic's editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed details of a policy making process that was arguably never intended to enter the official record, let alone the public or historical records... The Official Record: Oversight, national security and democracy is therefore an uncannily timely, as well as thoroughly researched and genuinely interesting, edited volume that details a variety of recent historical moments where the official, public and historical records have collided, overlapped or been confused from their usual, ordered existence.'Tony Craig, Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism -- .
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
4 figures, 2 tables
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
435 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-7432-1 (9781526174321)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Manchester University Press
from
€189.99
Available for download

E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Manchester University Press
€189.99
Available for download
Persons
Peter Finn is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Criminology, Politics and Sociology at Kingston University.
Robert Ledger is a guest researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt. -- .
Robert Ledger is a guest researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt. -- .
Content
Preface: Defining and 'Reading' the Official Record - Peter Finn and Robert Ledger
Introduction: The Official Record, Oversight, National Security and Democracy - Peter Finn and Robert Ledger
1 'The Scarlet A': assassination and the US Official Record from the Cold War to 9/11 - Luca Trenta
2 How public inquiries and scandals reshaped UK foreign and aid policy - Robert Ledger
3 Containing Hugo Chavez: insights from the WikiLeaks cables - RubrickBiegon
4 'Caveats were Down': The Canadian Official Record and the treatment of Maher Arar - Peter Finn
5 Targeted Killing: The constitutionality of killing US citizens - Christine Sixta Rinehart
6 The Chilcot Inquiry: political-legal tensions in going to war and the art of the possible for the public record - Louise Kettle
7 'It's Mueller Time': The Mueller investigation, the Official Record, and the rule of law - Peter Finn
Afterword - Peter Finn and Robert Ledger -- .
Introduction: The Official Record, Oversight, National Security and Democracy - Peter Finn and Robert Ledger
1 'The Scarlet A': assassination and the US Official Record from the Cold War to 9/11 - Luca Trenta
2 How public inquiries and scandals reshaped UK foreign and aid policy - Robert Ledger
3 Containing Hugo Chavez: insights from the WikiLeaks cables - RubrickBiegon
4 'Caveats were Down': The Canadian Official Record and the treatment of Maher Arar - Peter Finn
5 Targeted Killing: The constitutionality of killing US citizens - Christine Sixta Rinehart
6 The Chilcot Inquiry: political-legal tensions in going to war and the art of the possible for the public record - Louise Kettle
7 'It's Mueller Time': The Mueller investigation, the Official Record, and the rule of law - Peter Finn
Afterword - Peter Finn and Robert Ledger -- .