Today, the people of 65 countries have laws that provide mechanisms for them to request and obtain information from their respective governments. However, not all these laws were written - or are followed - effectively. This survey of access to information laws and practices in 14 countries opens a window onto one specific aspect of transparency: the right of an individual to request and receive information from a government. In so doing, it reveals much about the nature and efficacy of mechanisms employed by governments around the world to guarantee the right of access to information.