The purpose of this page is to provide a solid overview for people who are new to open government and the Open Government Directive.

See also frequently asked questions about the Open Government Directive.

About the White House's Open Government Initiative

From the White House's Web page:  "For too long, the American people have experienced a culture of secrecy in Washington, where information is locked up, taxpayer dollars disappear without a trace, and lobbyists wield undue influence.   For Americans, business as usual in Washington has reinforced the belief that the government benefits the special interests and the well connected at the expense of the American people. But President Obama committed to change the way Washington works. And he has begun to do just that."

From the White House's Web page: "On his first day in Office, President Obama signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, ushering in a new era of open and accountable government meant to bridge the gap between the American people and their government:

• The Administration is reducing the influence of special interests by writing new ethics rules that prevent lobbyists from coming to work in government or sitting on its advisory boards.
• The Administration is tracking how government uses the money with which the people have entrusted it with easy-to-understand websites like recovery.gov, USASpending.gov, and IT.usaspending.gov.
• The Administration is empowering the public – through greater openness and new technologies – to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

On December 8, 2009, the White House issued an unprecedented Open Government Directive  requiring federal agencies to take immediate, specific steps to achieve key milestones in transparency, participation, and collaboration.  You can see all Open Government Directive milestones, track progress across the Executive Branch on the Open Government Dashboard, and read about how the Obama Administration is changing the way Washington works in the Progress Report to the American People."

The Administration's Valerie Jarrett on Open Government:

You may also want to read the full text of the Open Government Directive.

List of External Resources for Getting Started with Open Government:

You are invited to edit; click the link on the right to request access to this wiki.

(Instructions: If there is applicable material, feel free to insert a link to your blog here and provide a 2-3 sentence description).

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