Final answer:
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the law that allows individuals to obtain access to information held in their government file. It aims to increase governmental transparency and limits the over-classification of documents, with some exemptions for national security and personal privacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act that grants individuals the right to access information collected in their government file is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This act emerged during the Johnson presidency amidst Cold War secrecy and increasing U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. It provides journalists and the general public the right to request records from various federal agencies, which are obligated to release that information unless it falls under one of nine exemptions. These exceptions range from national security concerns to personal privacy and trade secrets. Furthermore, FOIA was designed to increase governmental transparency and to limit over-classification of documents. It does, however, allow agencies to charge fees for the labor involved in collecting and copying documentation.
FOIA's implementation ensures that government agencies operate with a level of openness, providing public access to executive agencies' records. However, not all agencies are subject to FOIA requests, as certain exemptions have been made for intelligence and law enforcement agencies like the CIA and FBI. Despite these exemptions, FOIA has been widely used to obtain information that agencies might not have otherwise voluntarily disclosed, enabling continued public oversight of government actions.