Presiding with Principle

This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that social and environmental objectives are undermined when U.S. administrations fail to adhere to principles of participatory democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. It advocates for a government characterized by transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability to address urgent challenges such as global warming and financial instability.

• The paper asserts that government-held information must be accessible to the public except in limited, clearly defined cases. It specifically recommends that ad-hoc committees and task forces without formal rules should ensure transparency by publishing the names and affiliations of participants and the content of their deliberations.
• The document argues against the use of signing statements by the President to ignore laws or interpret them against the will of Congress. It calls for executive branch officials to cooperate with congressional oversight, limit discretionary power, and avoid using executive privilege to block information requests, while urging Congress to actively exercise its oversight duties.
• To ensure scientific integrity and non-partisan law enforcement, the paper states the President should appoint administrators who respect technical and scientific expertise. It emphasizes that the political review of findings must not compromise the independence of scientific data and that researchers should have the right to publicly comment on documents utilizing their work.
• The author defines a successful government as one that is transparent (proactively disclosing decision-making sources and participants), inclusive (incorporating diverse views from civil society and the private sector), and accountable (respecting checks and balances and enforcing laws in a non-partisan manner).

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Presiding with Principle. https://www.wri.org/research/presiding-principle

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Presiding with Principle. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/presiding-principle.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Presiding with Principle |url=https://www.wri.org/research/presiding-principle |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendpresiding, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Presiding with Principle}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/presiding-principle}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }