How Three Startups Are Using Data to Renew Public Trust In Government

How Three Startups Are Using Data to Renew Public Trust In Government | The Governance Lab @ NYUThe Governance Lab @ NYU:

People feel like governments aren’t working for them.We have limited information, visibility and insight into what’s going on and why. Yes, the data is public information but it’s difficult to access and sift through.
Good news. Things are changing fast. 

Innovative startups are emerging and they are changing the way we access government information at all levels. 

1. OpenGov is a Mountain View-based software company that enables government officials and local residents to easily parse through the city’s financial data. 

2. FiscalNote is a one-year old startup that uses analytical signals and intelligent government data to map legislation and predict an outcome. 

3. Civic Industries is a San Francisco startup that allows citizens and local government officials to easily access data that previously required you to drive down to city hall. Building permits, code enforcements, upcoming government projects and construction data is now openly available within a few clicks.

Please see the original article for details.

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Countable Wants To Make Politics A ‘Continual Conversation’

Countable Wants To Make Politics A ‘Continual Conversation’ | The Governance Lab @ NYUThe Governance Lab @ NYU:

Countable, available for iOS and coming to Android soon, presents a succinct summary of each piece of legislation Congress is considering, along with a short one-sentence argument in favor of the bill or against it. You are then able to vote “yay” or “nay.” When you are logged in through Facebook, Countable can automatically generate a message and send it to your representatives based on your location.

Countable also keeps track of how the lawmakers vote and then informs you how your representatives’ votes stack up to your own, generating “compatibility rankings."

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Testing a Texting Platform That Connects Locals, Representatives and Community Leaders

In Brooklyn, Testing a Texting Platform That Connects Locals, Representatives & Community Leaders | TechPresident:

What if you wanted to start a dialogue about charter schools in your neighborhood? The information hotline wasn't built to handle conversations like that, but a new text message-based platform called HeartGov is.

If you looked at a graph that measured "scale of issue", on one end you would put "reporting", which would be things like pot hole reporting, which 311 handles. On the other end of the spectrum you could have "big ideas", such as "marriage equality" or things that something like change.org handles. In between are medium scale civic ideas that are trackable and tangible.

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Using The Web to Track the Natural World

Yale Environment 360: How Citizen Scientists Are Using The Web to Track the Natural World:

By making the recording and sharing of environmental data easier than ever, web-based technology has fostered the rapid growth of so-called citizen scientists — volunteers who collaborate with scientists to collect and interpret data.

Several projects are discussed.

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How to talk to Your Reps in the District

POPVOX - The Hill 101: Talking to Your Reps in the District - POPVOX.com:

It's almost July 4th and Members of Congress are in their states and districts. Over the next few days, they will attend events, give a few speeches, and talk with constituents before heading back to Washington on July 9 for what may be a flurry of activity leading into the August recess.

While town hall meetings are scheduled in August, much of the important summer legislative action takes place in July. Especially in years with midterm elections, July is an important month for finishing up legislative business. Here's a few tips on getting your message to your reps when they are home in the district this July:

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