Classified information is government material marked as secret because its release could harm national security. Levels of classification control who may see it, and rules govern how it is stored, shared, and eventually released. Federal agencies decide what to classify, the president sets the overall system, and Congress and the courts influence it.
People usually ask what the levels of classification mean, who can access secret material, how declassification works, how leaks happen and are treated, and how government secrecy is balanced with the public's right to know.
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