Transparency and the House of Mirrors

By Patrick F. Quinn

Is there a CEO, an agency head, a committee chairman, or a politician in America who has failed to announce the “transparency” of his or her work? Even the latest ads from mortgage-lending services claim they believe in transparency—a sure sign that the term has gone mainstream.

But do any of these people ever explain (or do they even know) precisely what they mean by “transparency”? I think not. In today’s culture, the word seems to serve its own purpose, without need of an explanation. Just saying “my administration is transparent” is enough to float phantom buoys of leadership on the surface of otherwise dangerously shallow waters, and cause people who should know better to shiver in chilly giddiness.

But what exactly is transparency? It’s perhaps easier to talk...