What is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and what types of records are exempt from disclosure?

FOIA, enacted in 1966, establishes a presumption of openness in federal government records. Any person (not just citizens) can submit a FOIA request to any federal executive agency, which must respond within 20 business days. The nine statutory exemptions include: classified national security and foreign policy information, internal agency personnel rules, information exempt under other statutes, trade secrets and confidential business information, internal deliberative process memoranda, personal privacy information, law enforcement records that could interfere with investigations, financial institution examination reports, and certain geological data. Requesters can appeal denials administratively and then to federal court. Each state has its own analogous public records law.