Transparency. Participation. Collaboration.

President Obama, in an effort to make the government more transparent and accessible, has begun the Open Government Initiative. Vivek Kundra has been appointed as Chief Information Officer, a position that did not exist until this administration. The purpose for the Open Government Initiative is to make all those public records and data that the government collects more easily accessible. Previously, the way to access most of this information was to march down to Washington DC and view the data in person. For example, when the website is complete, you will be able to hop online and see all the data that the Health Department, has collected, everything from peanut allergies to flu deaths. And not only can you view the information, you can submit your own ideas and opinions about the data or the Initiative itself. Obama is attempting to bring the government to the people, let them voice their concerns directly. This is an amazing new step into the 21st century for our federal government. With a powerful tool such as the internet, we can now have the President's ear faster than ever. Information and feedback will flow easier, certainly a precedent for future administrations. As I see it, we will be closer to a republic form of government- placing power back to the people themselves, instead of solely relying on our representatives to voice our concerns, wants, and needs.

To learn more about the Open Government Initiative please visit the official site. You can also visit the Open Government Dialogue site to voice your new ideas, vote on current ones, and help shape how this initiative will take effect. And furthermore, you can listen to the piece on All Things Considered regarding this topic here. 

This is the PEOPLE's government, time for us to utilize the power we've always had!