; (2) the number of people with access to classified information is exceedingly high and must be justified or reduced; (3) reforms are necessary to reestablish trust between the Federal Government and the people of the United States; and (4) classification should be limited to the minimum necessary to protect national security while balancing the public’s interest in disclosure. 754. Classification authority (a) In general The authority to classify information originally may be exercised only by— (1) the President and, in the performance of executive duties, the Vice President; (2) the head of an agency or an official of any agency authorized by the President pursuant to a designation of such authority in the Federal Register