Why do governments have secrets?
Several major reasons: 1) The government has enemies; including criminals (single and organizations), other governments, and terrorist organizations. Many of these enemies, if they knew everything the government knew, would get a significant edge on the government: it's a lot harder to deal with …
The Short Answer
Several major reasons: 1) The government has enemies; including criminals (single and organizations), other governments, and terrorist organizations. Many of these enemies, if they knew everything the government knew, would get a significant edge on the government: it's a lot harder to deal with criminals if they know what you're doing. 2) The government is sometimes engaged in activities that it believes is for the best, but that people may or may not support. While sometimes these activities are misguided, other times they are the right thing. In either case, for them to have the largest chance of succeeding, it helps if the people that don't support these ideas don't find out about them. 3) People in power tend to want more power. When people oppose you having more power, you have to get more power behind their backs. This is one reason the government should probably have fewer secrets, but it's a reason the government has secrets. I'm probably missing a few other reasons.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Government, people, power
This explanation focuses on government, people, power and spans 162 words across 9 sentences. At 125% above the average Society explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Several major reasons: 1) The government has enemies; including criminals (single and organizations), other governments,” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 9 connected points.
How This Compares in Society
Ranked #20 of 500 Society questions by answer depth (top 5%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why governments have secrets?
Several major reasons: 1) The government has enemies; including criminals (single and organizations), other governments, and terrorist organizations. Many of these enemies, if they knew everything the government knew, would get a significant edge on…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Society questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 162 words, ranked #20 of 500 Society questions by depth. The key concepts covered are government, people, power.
What approach does this answer take to explain governments have secrets?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 162 words. It is categorized under Society and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.