Problems and Purpose The so-called ‘Internet of Things’ - using the Internet to allow physical appliances to connect with other tools on the network - offers policymakers the opportunity to collect and share massive amounts of data about constituents’ behavior to guide and improve public well-being. Seeking to capitalize upon...

Problems and Purpose While communities in Western Pennsylvania, led by Pittsburgh, have sought to be at the forefront of government open data projects, these data sets are scattered across the over 130 municipalities within Allegheny County alone.[1] To remedy this problem and create a unified data hub for all of...

Problems and Purpose Each year, federal agencies author approximately 2,500 to 4,500regulations. While these regulations are typically supposed to be subject to a public comment period, public input is largely nonexistent. [1] Regulations.gov is an online platform where users can comment on pending and proposed federal regulations. The portal is...

Problems and Purpose In recent years, governments have sought to harness the power of ‘big data’ to improve performance and increase transparency. This has frequently been accomplished through ‘open data’ projects in which leaders make available a range of data sets generated and used by public agencies. With the launch...

Problems and Purpose The Arizona E-Qual system is an online platform that seeks to modernize Arizona’s election process by allowing citizens to sign nominating petitions for candidates seeking to appear on the ballot for a given office. Previously, candidates in Arizona had to receive a specified number of signatures on...

A statewide collection of over 200 government agency data sets made available to the public, the Open New York platform is part of a larger movement towards open data among public agencies. Since its launch, in 2013, Open New York has been accessed by users in all 50 states and...