That perception alone lends an appearance of impropriety to such a meeting and detracts from public confidence in the integrity of public officials. As at the federal level, state and local governments make countless decisions that affect our daily lives in fundamental ways - decisions regarding taxes, the environment, and health, among others. When such decisions are made, secrecy all too often can be used to shield special or personal interests from public scrutiny. While openness in government is important because it allows for a more informed electorate and reduces public distrust of elected officials, it also is a democratic right. Open government is inherent in the very concept of political democracy and representative government.
Openness promotes better discussion and more responsive action by government officials.
As for the public at large, open meeting requirements curtail governmental officials' misbehavior, provide for a more educated public, make for more accurate reporting by the press, and allow decisions which result in the expenditure of public funds to be made openly. Public officials benefit because open meetings provide them with accurate information concerning issues involved, better enable them to gauge public reaction, and foster public faith in government. In 1967, Florida passed an open meetings law, triggering a national movement for strong open meetings legislation. But those laws have varying degrees of effectiveness and many have exceptions which allow some meetings to be closed. Of the 50 state open meetings laws, virtually all require advance public notice.