Does Transparency Inhibit Political Compromise?

Governments face an apparent tension regarding transparency reforms: do they promote accountability or constrain compromise? This article empirically tests this widely accepted but rarely studied argument using temporal variation in state 'sunshine law' adoptions and legislative exemptions. The study examines several indicators of political negotiation, including productivity, polarization, partisanship, policy change, and budget delay. Our analyses generally find precisely estimated negligible effects, challenging the conventional wisdom that transparency inherently hinders compromise.