Final answer:
Certain proceedings are exempt from the public meetings law, including those discussing classified information, proprietary data, employee privacy matters, and criminal matters. Citizens have the right to follow rulemaking and testify at hearings on proposed rules. The Sunshine Act requires federal agencies to hold their meetings in a public forum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sunshine Act exempts certain proceedings from the public meetings law. These exemptions include meetings discussing classified information, proprietary data for review, employee privacy matters, criminal matters, and situations where releasing information would prove financially harmful to companies. In addition, citizens and citizen groups have the right to follow rulemaking and testify at hearings on proposed rules.
One example of a responsive bureaucracy is the government's efforts to keep open records and solicit public input on important changes. The Sunshine Act requires federal agencies to hold their meetings in a public forum, exposing governmental activities to the light of public scrutiny.