The Government Domain: Tracking Federal Dollars
Peggy Garvin reviews the strengths, weaknesses and range of source material offered by several free online federal contracts and awards information databases.
Category «Congress»
FOIA Facts: Are Ombudsman The Answer?
Scott A. Hodes maintains that there are pros and cons to setting up an ombudsman’s office, and the overall scheme may not be the answer in resolving the number of disputes that arise in the disclosure of public records.
FOIA Facts: Suggestions for FOIA Amendments
Scott A. Hodes recommends four substantive ways in which agency accountability will lead to more effective and efficient processing of FOIA requests.
Commentary: Labor Protections and the Role of Card-Check Agreements
Beth Wellington reviews the background and legislation associated with card check-off campaigns to establish union representation, as well as the current political and corporate positions.
The Goverment Domain: GovTrack and OpenCongress Go Beyond THOMAS
Peggy Garvin explores the evolution in the features and services provided by GovTrack, the free, public, independent web service with information on federal legislation, congressional documents, legislators, and votes. She also profiles a site with complementary content on lobbying activity and campaign contributions.
CongressLine by GalleryWatch.com: The Capitol of Newspapers
Paul Jenks provides background, perspective and insight into the audience, content and role of a trio of newspapers of record for what he calls the “most inherently partisan institution in the country.” These papers, available in print and online versions, are significant resources for anyone tracking the Hill and Congress.
Commentary: The Real Costs of America’s Nuclear Power Program and the Impact on Global Climate Change
Beth Wellington reviews the administration’s position on FY 2008 funding for nuclear power programs, as well as the impact of these programs on climate change.
The Government Domain: New House Website and Open House Project
The 110th Congress included not only new names and faces on the Hill, but a plethora of redesigned e-government sites, many of which are still very much under development. In her column this month, Peggy Garvin focuses on the changes in the House of Representatives website.
Commentary: The Iraq Troop Surge
Beth Wellington puts the recently announced troop surge surge into context by reviewing the response of members of Congress, the public, columnists and think tanks.
CongressLine, by GalleryWatch.com: Authorization and Appropriation
Paul Jenks explains the process of key Congressional activitiy: before money can be spent, Congress must authorize the expenditure first, and then must appropriate the money to do so.