It is already such that the US government can't own copyrights, as I understand it. Crown copyright is a thing in the UK, though.
I am still a little surprised that they are allowed to keep secrets, for the same reason.
I am still a little surprised that they are allowed to keep secrets, for the same reason.
Yes, it can.
US-government created works are automatically public domain in the US, but the government, IIRC, still holds international copyrights on them, and moreover can own (even American) copyrights on anything whose creation makes it subject to copyright.
A trade secret does.
A patent doesn't.