In July 1966 Congress passed the Freedom of Information Act, which required federal agencies to provide documents and records to citizens upon request. There were certain exceptions for information about law enforcement investigations, national security, and trade secrets. The act also ruled that officials had to explain why certain information was classified as top secret. President Richard Nixon later signed an executive order that reduced the number of agencies that could declare information top secret. The act reflected the increasing public distrust of the U.S. government. In 1974 over President Gerald Ford’s veto, Congress extended the act. The 1974 act established deadlines for agency responses to requests for information. It also placed the burden on the government for justifying classification of material.
