The impact of improved disclosure is diminished when the information being shared is still in a format that makes it difficult to search, sort, and compare.
Continue readingWhen your child’s lunch is repossessed — and other communication failures that need a little civic hacking
How a school lunch crisis exposed a need for innovative civic hacking.
Continue readingWhy “set the default to open”? Because information is a public good
A core principle for governments to use in developing an open data policy is that “the default should be set to open.” It means governments should generally be proactive in providing access to the information they collect and produce.
Continue readingWhy I care about open data (and you do too)
Sunlight's new policy manager, Emily Shaw, offers some perspective on the importance and universality of open data.
Continue readingThe Year in Local Open Data
This was a landmark year for local open data — take a look back at some of the advances that were made.
Continue readingRecommendations for Stronger Local Asset Disclosure
The release of asset disclosure information is spotty at best on the local level. We have a few recommendations for opening up this data.
Continue readingThe Impact of Local Asset Disclosure
Opening up asset disclosures helps empower public oversight of potential conflicts of interest for local government officials. Reporters across the country are calling out the need for access to this information as open data.
Continue readingThe Landscape of Local Asset Disclosure
Many local government officials have to disclose information about potential conflicts of interest, but this information is difficult to find released as open data.
Continue readingMontgomery County’s Open Data Town Hall, the Town Hall of the Future
On Thursday November 21st, Montgomery County, Maryland hosted an Open Data Town Hall to solicit feedback from citizens about what data they would like to see prioritized for release online under Montgomery County’s open data law.
Continue readingDC Approves Campaign Finance Reforms
In a legislative meeting today, DC council members unanimously approved a bill that moves campaign finance in the District toward greater transparency. The legislation requires electronic filing of campaign finance information and the publication of that information online within 24 hours -- language that Sunlight's local team recommended in the bill's drafting process.
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who moved the bill through Council, thanked Sunlight for our role in this win for transparency:
Thanks also to the @SunFoundation for their input on transparency reforms that are cornerstone of this DC campaign finance reform
— Kenyan R. McDuffie (@CM_McDuffie) December 3, 2013
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