This paper explores the role that the right of access to information may have played in the development of
accountability and responsiveness within the democratization process in Brazil. The authors focus on: freedom of
information in general, as represented by the lifting of censorship laws that prevailed during the military
dictatorship (1964-1985), freedom of access to official documents/information, (known as FOI), regulated by
specific legislation and potential links between the two preceding types of information. This paper is based on the
authors’ experience of conducting research on archival and/or secondary data from various government
institutions and on findings from a national cross-sectional study carried out in Brazil, which reveals only weak
support for freedom of information. We draw upon this source material to explore potential connections between
the continuing lack of strong support from the public for freedom of information and institutional failures to
respond and account to society.