I’m wondering to what degree federal government entities have formally committed to using open standards. The closest I can find is language from the OMB Circular A-130, which, as far as I can see, doesn’t explicitly mention proprietary vs open standards.
There are several passages, however, which could be taken to add up to as […]

I always find it interesting how although our government is run by fairly strict procedural rules that have been written out in various places, starting with the constitution and ending somewhere past the horizon, sometimes it’s just impossible to locate exactly at what point in the procedural game “reality” is. For instance, the constitution outlines […]

From a response I just wrote to a comment on a Lessig blog post about dreaming up a US CTO position:
The OTA was recently reinstated, although in a different form, when Congress passed (and President Bush signed) the most recent legislative branch appropriations bill. I work for the Sunlight Foundation, and we helped push […]

Google has been working with federal agencies to help them ensure that their data are accessible through search engines. Many government databases providing critical information or statistics have existed for much longer than the current standards for public Internet accessibility, so the disconnect between search engines and public databases is understandable.
There is a clear […]

Here’s a CRS report on e-rulemaking, outlining legislation and implementation of e-rulemaking, especially as it relates to the relationship between the legislative and executive branch.
For a little more detail on the foundations of that relationship in terms of oversight, here are two recent CRS reports on Inspectors General, one about the offices’ history and statutory […]

Governmental communications demand scrutiny. Not just from citizens demanding accountability, but also from within any specific department or office. Coordinating communications can be a tricky task, especially within a large operation, so it isn’t surprising that significant time and attention are given to editing, clarifying, planning, and releasing press statements and official correspondence.
What […]