Latest Blog Posts

• June 5, 2013 at 5:18 PM EDT

  Nominate a White House Champion of Change for Transformative Civic Engagement

  This July, the White House will host a “Champions of Change” event to celebrate these local change-agents, whose exemplary leadership is helping to strengthen our democracy and increase participation in our government.We’re asking you to help us identify these standout local leaders by nominating a Champion of Change for Transformative Civic Engagement

• May 13, 2013 at 5:51 PM EDT

  Recap: A Big Day for Open Data

  Yesterday, President Obama visited Austin, Texas, to kick off his Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour. At Capital Factory, a local start-up incubator, he met with technology entrepreneurs and innovative companies that are helping grow our economy and create jobs by building new products and services. One of those companies, Stormpulse, uses freely available government weather data to help businesses protect themselves.

• April 1, 2013 at 9:45 AM EDT

  Open Government: A Time for Self-Assessment

  Since the first day of the Obama Administration, the Federal government has worked to make government more efficient, effective, and responsive to citizens’ needs. The Administration is committed to harnessing new technology to engage the public, disclosing information more quickly, and giving citizens a greater voice in decision-making. Today, we are proud to release a Self-Assessment Report on the many steps taken to fulfill those commitments.

• March 15, 2013 at 1:38 PM EDT

  Sunshine Week: Increasing Access to Publicly Funded Research

  During Sunshine Week, we celebrate the ways government can improve public use of government information. We recently took an important step to increase public access to the results of research funded by the Federal Government, focusing on two key products of funded research: peer-reviewed scholarly publications and scientific data.

• March 14, 2013 at 3:20 PM EDT

  Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Transparency

  Sunshine Week is a good time to reflect on the notable steps the Administration has taken in the last year-and-a-half to fulfill its commitment to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)—a voluntary, global effort designed to increase transparency, strengthen the accountability of natural resource revenues, and build public trust for the governance of these vital activities.

• March 13, 2013 at 1:10 PM EDT

  Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Civic Engagement

  Sunshine Week seeks to encourage public participation in government, and the U.S. has worked hard to expand opportunities for civic engagement. As one example of this, We the People gives the Obama Administration a way to connect with the public on the issues that matter most to them.

• March 12, 2013 at 6:00 PM EDT

  Sunshine Week: All Hands on Deck for Open Data

  On Monday during Sunshine Week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of open.ny.gov, a new data transparency website that features valuable information about New York State economic development, recreation, and public services. The announcement is an important contribution to the growing “all hands on deck” effort to make government data accessible as fuel for innovation and economic growth.

• March 12, 2013 at 5:43 PM EDT

  Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Open Government

  During Sunshine Week 2013, the White House will highlight one initiative a day which demonstrates the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to open and accessible government. This first post focuses on progress made improving the administration of the FOIA. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."