For much of this year I have been conducting research into the impacts of technology enabled transparency policy around the world. A significant step in this process was reading theory and existing evidence to find the footing and context of the project, as well as defining our scope and developing our methodology and research protocol. But over the last several months, the long process of data collection has begun. The first wave of the case study project is in full swing, and so I spend my days setting up and conducting interviews. At this point the data collection on our first case, public procurement in the Slovak Republic, is coming to a close. Despite the early stage, some interesting lessons and themes have already begun to emerge from the conversations I am having.
Continue readingPossible impacts of the Czech political turmoil
The Czech Republic has been facing a rather earth-shattering corruption scandal that is probably one of the most revolutionary episodes in... View Article
Continue readingBell, California: Moving From Secrecy to Sunshine
We can't keep our eyes off the City of Bell, California -- and for good reasons.
The city gained notoriety in 2010 when the Los Angeles Times began to expose high salaries for city officials who did next to nothing. It was a problem that had been brewing for years, as the LA Times charted in a timeline of the corruption.
Bell's government is different now.
Bell has most recently been in the news not just for reaching a culminating point in the scandal -- the trial of six former city council members on corruption charges -- but also for a high transparency grade as part of a government website review. Sunshine Review, a non-profit that examines state and local government transparency, gave the city an A- grade in the 2013 Sunny Awards. The grades are based on whether certain information like budgets, open meeting laws, and lobbying records are posted online, as outlined in this checklist.
This is one indicator of the many steps the city government has taken toward greater transparency. Bell's efforts are notable for several reasons.
Continue readingSTOCK Act Sausage Making
If ever there were an example of knee-jerk legislating, the STOCK Act may be it. A thoughtful and comprehensive bill, introduced by Rep. Slaughter, languished for years until some bad publicity made Members of Congress decide to “take action.” But in their haste to demonstrate they were responsive to the public’s outcry over allegations of congressional insider trading, Congress passed a watered down version of the bill. Furthermore, since passing the STOCK Act, Congress has twice acted to delay implementation of the bill, citing the risk of unintended consequences of the transparency measures they enacted. The hurry up and wait method of legislating leaves one to wonder what will be disclosed when the sausage making is complete.
Continue readingSunlight Weekly Round-up: Louisiana governor to become subject to public records law
As mentioned earlier, the open government movement made major strides today — when together with the Participatory Politics Foundation, we... View Article
Continue readingSunlight Weekly Round-up: States to be measured for susceptibility to corruption
When it comes to money in politics, Sunlight’s Poligraft helps you see the relationships between organizations and the people in... View Article
Continue readingEgypt’s Corruption Problem
There are a couple of great articles on the ways in which politics and business meld in Egypt from the... View Article
Continue readingSunlight Blogger Round-up: Judgeship Applications to be disclosed
Carol Geiger, Steve Hall and Kathy Posner all have one thing in common. To see their government held accountable and ... View Article
Continue readingSunlight Urges Congress to Pass Streamlined DISCLOSE Act During Lame Duck
Because the Senate failed to pass the DISCLOSE Act before the 2010 election, American voters do not know the full... View Article
Continue readingFirst and Foremost: Find the Money
Now we know—with only a few exceptions—the results of the 2010 midterms in terms of who’s in and who’s out.... View Article
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