Open government laws exist to increase government transparency, participation, and accountability. These laws are sometimes referred to as sunshine laws because they expose the secret workings of government, and because sunlight is the best disinfectant for government corruption. It has been said that freedom dies behind closed doors, and open government laws are intended to open those closed doors to honest citizens so they can see what their government is up to. Two of the main open government laws in Utah are the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and the Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA). When state and local governments in Utah comply with these laws, hard-working tax-paying citizens are able to see how their taxes are being spent by government officials and what other actions government officials are taking in their name.  But sometimes government officials violate the requirements of Utah open government laws in order to operate in secret, and it is up to honest citizens to expose these violations and hold the violators accountable. This is where UtahDOG comes in as a government watchdog to investigate and publish articles on these violations.