After one last summer break, we're back with our daily roundup of open government news from Washington, across the United States, and across the world! Today, we're highlighting some of the biggest stories -- and our own work -- over the past week. We'll be back tomorrow with a more granular look at the day's open government news. Please email us at todayinopengov@sunlightfoundation.com and share what we missed.
Continue readingWho are the most common commenters on open data policies?
A number of cities have invited feedback on draft open data policies — but who actually participates? We analyzed 164 comments made by 65 users on the online drafts posted by 9 American cities to find out.
Continue reading18F makes recommendations to Justice Department for new national FOIA website
We applaud 18F for their work to date and look forward to seeing beta.foia.gov live, but the FOIA project is far from over. What happens next will depend in part on funding and political will.
Continue readingHow Houston is using open data to handle Hurricane Harvey
Open data has become a crucial part of emergency response to natural disasters. This week, Hurricane Harvey is demonstrating how robust open data systems can help any city cope with and recover from disaster.
Continue readingPutting sunshine on President Trump’s conflicts of interest
In November 2016, Sunlight began tracking President Donald J. Trump’s conflicts of interest. In May 2017, we relaunched our list... View Article
Continue readingPublic comments on city open data policies focus on governance, uses and privacy
Our analysis of public feedback on the draft open data policies posted by nine American cities online found that comments focus most on governance, usability and privacy. We hope cities will apply this information towards more meaningfully engage with the public.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Applied ethics
Today, we're thinking about how to boost flagging citizen confidence in public institutions. In the Pacific Standard, Hollie Russon-Gilman and Tiago Carneiro Peixoto explore the growing move towards participatory budgeting programs across the globe. The research shows that "when governments listen, citizens reward them both politically and financially..." through increased electoral support and decreased tax delinquency. Read on for the rest of the day's open government news, including a trip to Durham to talk open data, the USDA's ethics app, the latest on the Trump administration's attempt to obtain data on anti-inauguration protesters, and more...
Continue readingBuilding community around Durham’s open data
Open Cities analyst Noel Isama traveled to North Carolina to participate in Civic Spark Day, one of the ways Durham is incorporating community members’ feedback into its ongoing work opening data. This is what he learned.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Very Dishonest
Earlier this week, President Trump renewed his attacks on the media, calling journalists "dishonest" and "bad people" at a rally in Phoenix, AZ. Needless to say, we disagree with the President. Journalists are the immune system of democracy and all politicians should be prepared to speak up and defend the freedom of the press. In moments like these it's important for all Americans to follow and support individuals and organizations who work to protect and defend journalists in the United States and around the world.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Federal Complaint Commission
Today in OpenGov, the FCC fields some complaints, Trump's billionaire buddies face some unexpected obstacles, Baltimore struggles with its police body cameras, and more.
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