The Official Record

Oversight, National Security and Democracy

Peter Finn, Robert Ledger

$194.99

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Manchester University Press
28 August 2024

Political structures: democracy; Central government policies; Military intelligence

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.

Edited by: Peter Finn, Robert Ledger
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 427g
ISBN: 9781526174321
ISBN 10: 1526174324
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 28 August 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

Reviews for The Official Record: Oversight, National Security and Democracy

'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 -- .