A project war room used to make sense especially if you are managing a complex project. Having a central place to hold project team meetings, brief stakeholders, and analyze data that helps you to control the project was needed as late as the early 90s. However, as with many other management methods, the rise ofRead… Read more »
Thanks to a tweet by Evgeny Morozov I came across this new research paper by W. Ben Towne and James D. Herbsleb, published in the current edition of Journal of Information Technology & Politics (Volume 9, Issue 1, 2012, pages 97-115): Design Considerations for Online Deliberation Systems (subscription required) ABSTRACT. Online deliberation enables structured, topicalRead… Read more »
Dark money has haunted the psyche of good government reformers. Recent changes in campaign law raise the prospect of unlimited donations, routed to political action committees through 501(c)4 “social welfare” organizations that don’t have to disclose contributors’ names. That could allow innocuously named groups to shelter powerful individuals and corporations and the influence they’re exercisingRead… Read more »
A Sunlight analysis of the fight on Capitol Hill over SOPA is generating some pushback in the online community from activists who think we overstated the role of money and corporate lobbying in the debate. In the interest of broadening and deepening the conversation, we asked one of our critics, Mike Godwin, a former counselRead… Read more »
Sunlight Executive Director Ellen Miller responds to this guest post by Mike Godwin: There is little in Mike Godwin’s response that we disagree with. As he writes, the debate over SOPA and PIPA was changed not by “politics as usual” or a late infusion of interest group lobbying cash, “but the participation of the onlineRead… Read more »
The revolving door is alive and well in Washington. In less than three years, at least 378 House staffers employed in personal and committee offices have left Capitol Hill to become registered lobbyists, a Sunlight Foundation analysis of House disbursement data and federal lobbying records finds. More than two in five former House staffers whoRead… Read more »
From the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments: “The District of Columbia was recently selected as one of five capital cities to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greening America’s Capitals technical design assistance. This assistance will focus on green design and pedestrian/bicycle safety in the public spaces surrounding the Anacostia Metro Station and its proximityRead… Read more »
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is Tuesday’s take on transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup: Campaign Finance More than a third of advertising related to the presidential race has come from nonprofit groups that can keep their donors secret. (Washington Post) Rep.Read… Read more »
Facebook decides whether photos of nursing mothers are allowed to be displayed in its site (including in Australia and other nations where such photos are legal). Google leaves China to avoid complying with its national censorship laws. Gaming and gambling websites base themselves in jurisdictions where they are legal while attracting most of their customersRead… Read more »