Date of Award
3-5-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Abstract
On Jan. 9, 2018, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) acknowledged the existence of its program on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), also known as “unidentified flying objects (UFO’s)” (Defense Intelligence Agency, 2018). The agency described the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program (AATIP). in a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain and Ranking Member Jack Reed, and, according to a former DOD official in the program, it is “highly unlikely” that a terrestrial “human adversary” would have developed the observed technology (Defense Intelligence Agency, 2018; Fox News, May 31, 2019). Despite the disclosure of the program, information available to the public on UAP now represents just “the tip of the iceberg,” according to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (The Hill, Oct. 15, 2020). This study will collect data on potential options for greater transparency, as applied to the case study of UAP. Specifically, the research will employ an electronic survey and semi-structured interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data on perceptions were collected, with the result broadening public dialogue, and academic discussion of transparency in government.
Recommended Citation
Werner, Karen, "Transparency and the Black Budget: A Case Study of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (2021). EMPA Capstones. 373.
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/capstones/373