Aspen Daily News: Discussions of open-records laws and government transparency often sound like they’re born of the digital age. But the philosophical roots of “sunshine laws” run far deeper — straight back to the founding generation and the arguments made in The Federalist Papers.

When James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay wrote the Federalist essays in 1787-88, they were laying the constitutional foundation of explaining why a republic could function only if the people themselves retained ultimate authority over their government. 

That principle leads directly to the idea of open government. 

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