It's also an impediment to democracy as it prevents an informed public. Not to mention that the interests of the state and the nation usually aren't aligned. Th

It's also an impediment to democracy as it prevents an informed public. Not to mention that the interests of the state and the nation usually aren't aligned. Things like "state secret" imply that the power balance between the state and nation are skewed. But that always inevitably happens as the state gains more and more power.