In free governments, the government is the servant of the people. It's activities are transparent and public by default, though the people may allow some define

In free governments, the government is the servant of the people. It's activities are transparent and public by default, though the people may allow some defined areas where some secrecy is temporarily allowed. The people's liberty and privacy are assumed by default - it may be violated only by specific, well-defined legal processes. In a despotism these roles are reversed, in government, secrecy is assumed. For the people, there is no privacy. Government is not longer the servant but the master.