When America Went Secret

  The various factions of the early American Republic would not have tolerated secret government, as they would not have trusted each other. For this reason, the American Republic was designed to be open to outside inspection, at least on the official level of functioning.

Open government evolved into one of the fundamental precepts of American society in the Eighteenth Century. This was successful until the introduction of the railroads, which brought forth the necessity for corporations created for the public good, through internal improvements and public works. Despite the corruption of this, however, Americans continued to think of their society as an open one, and that this openness was the essence of American freedom.

By the early Twentieth Century, Americans came to accept that government functioning in the modern era required large cadres of managers outside the political process. The curation of the ranks of this bureaucracy has been one of the great political balancing acts throughout the history of the country. 

Even after the managerial revolution, and the vast expansion of government under Roosevelt, Americans continued to believe that their government must be an open one. 

World War II changed that at last. 

The pervasive and culture-shifting experience of the war caused Americans of all political type to embrace the doctrine that the avoidance of a repeat of Pearl Harbor, as well the new responsibilities of America in the post 1945 world, required the country to be on what could be called a permanent wartime footing.