Obama Can Revolutionize Government Through Democratizing Data

[Commentary] Ramping up the Obama Administration's "democratizing data" initiatives could both cut government spending and increase its effectiveness.

It could be done through administrative reforms Obama could implement unilaterally rather than requiring legislation that might fail in today's bitter wrangling. Democratizing data refers to a combination of policy and technology innovations that make government data available to those who need it, preferably on a real-time basis (i.e., data is released as soon as it is entered) plus tools that allow users to interpret and use that data. You need only think of how government real-time GPS data fostered an multi-billion dollar industry (location-based services) while improving the quality of our lives, to understand the potential benefits. This data is "tagged," i.e. information that identifies the data and lets it be automatically used by both equipment and programs is permanently linked to the data as it is entered. Tagged government data can serve many purposes at minimal cost since the information flows automatically. The Obama Administration launched Data.gov in May to release government data streams for public (including commercial) use. Starting with 47 feeds, within less than 2 months the number had increased to a staggering 100,000. These feeds not only make government transparent and accountable, but can be used by state and local governments, non-profits, and businesses to create new services. That same data should also be made available internally in real-time to government employees. It would help them make better decisions by considering both historical trends and current conditions. Even better, Web 2.0 data visualization tools to interpreting data using striking graphic displays plus collaboration tools such as wikis could improve agency decision-making by encouraging collaborative analysis among many users.