The point of publishing bulk data is so it can be reused as widely as possible. This is particularly true for government data, which belongs to the public.
Government agencies can sometimes also be concerned with ensuring the authenticity of their legal information - especially when the data might be seen as an official source. It breaks down into two major concerns: integrity (ensuring the text is accurate), and origin (proving it's official). A lot of people are used to the "wax seal" model of authenticity - the experience of opening a PDF and seeing that the document is signed and official. This model quickly breaks down for distributing bulk data.
The goals of ease of reuse and authentication are frequently presented as being in tension, but that tension is just as frequently overstated. There are straightforward approaches to guaranteeing authenticity of bulk data that do not encumber reuse.
Continue readingCongress launches THOMAS successor Congress.gov
Seventeen years after the creation of THOMAS, Congress today launched a sleeker, more intuitive and user-friendly legislative information website, beta.congress.gov.... View Article
Continue readingLooking for the “Constitution Annotated” on Constitution Day
It’s been 225 years since the signing of the U.S. Constitution in September 1787, so the three years that have... View Article
Continue readingHow to Count Regulations: A Primer for Regulatory Research
Data and Research Intern Alex Engler wrote this post. The regulatory process is a politically charged arena, where the perception of over-regulating, or not regulating enough, can become a political liability. Whether it’s Tom Donohue of the Chamber of Commerce warning of the oncoming “tsunami” of regulations from President Obama, or the National Resource Defense Council striking at the Bush administration for an “assault on our clean air protections,” there can be no doubt that the perceived level of regulation matters. However, one should look skeptically towards assertions about the degree of rulemaking, especially when those assertions include specific numbers. These claims are often based on research that can be structured so as to intentionally mislead. And beyond the political motivation in how one measures regulatory action, there are also many opportunities for genuine methodological error.
Continue readingAfter 578 Days, Where’s the Constitution Annotated?
578 days ago, Congress directed that the legal treatise Constitution Annotated be published online, but it’s still not available. The Constitution... View Article
Continue readingMedia Spotlight on Congress Stalling Open Access to Legislation
The media's magnifying glass is concentrating attention on actions by the House Appropriations Committee that could stall progress on the public's access to legislative information.
Continue reading#FreeTHOMAS
Does information about legislation belong to Congress or to the American people? This basic question is at the heart of... View Article
Continue readingBulk Access Developments after the H. Approps Hearing
In the last 24 hours there have been three significant developments on providing the public with better access to legislative... View Article
Continue readingWill the House’s Leg Spending Bill Match Its Transparency Priorities?
In the last 18 months, the House of Representatives has made significant strides towards greater openness and transparency in congressional... View Article
Continue readingPut THOMAS on the Fast Track
Earlier this week, appropriators held a hearing on funding for the legislative agencies that make government information available to the... View Article
Continue reading
59063
