Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#21

Post by jfarmer » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 10:00 PM UTC

jcarbaugh wrote: post #5

This isn't quite getEveryDollarSpent, but check out http://usaspending.gov/ . The site tracks all federal contracting dollars spent. It has an API and a fairly detailed set of data. Rather than one giant government API, we will probably see each agency slowly create more meaningful ways to get at their data. I expect there to be some exciting open data initiatives from the Obama administration.

At the bottom of the page: "The White House. President George W. Bush."

Someone should get on that. :D

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#22

Post by ontilt » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 10:30 PM UTC

geuis wrote: post #17

A congressional api. Pass either a lawmakers name and get their voting record. Pass a zip code to get the lawmakers for your area. Pass a bill # to get relevant data, etc

Something like this?

http://open.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/introducing-the-con...

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#23

Post by DanielBMarkham » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:42 PM UTC

bullshitMe, which takes as parameters my SSN and returns a load of political crap geared especially for my demographic.

Could eliminate a lot of political grunt work and save money come the next election. It would also provide excuses for practical things, like why the potholes aren't fixed or the budget is still unbalanced.

I'm also all for simplifyAgency, which takes an Agency name and returns a list of functions that the agency does. So I could call simplifiyAgency("IRS") and receive a list of APIs the IRS exposes.

Or how about something extremely practical? Give us access to all of that GIS and USGS data in a simple format. You know, the data that is in the public domain but companies make a killing re-selling us.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#24

Post by parlin » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:45 PM UTC

A live feed of who gives funding to campaigns or any politician would be great. Thanks.

What if ALL contributions were reported on a public twitter feed-ish service? (and a timeline)

Oh, and an api for that data would be sweet too.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#25

Post by mooism2 » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 12:37 AM UTC

At a different level of government, I'd like a real-time public transport api. Tell me where all the buses and trains are right now, and let me make sense of it for my website's visitors.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#26

Post by jcarbaugh » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 2:44 AM UTC

ALee wrote: post #11

jcarbaugh wrote: post #5

This isn't quite getEveryDollarSpent, but check out http://usaspending.gov/ . The site tracks all federal contracting dollars spent. It has an API and a fairly detailed set of data. Rather than one giant government API, we will probably see each agency slowly create more meaningful ways to get at their data. I expect there to be some exciting open data initiatives from the Obama administration.

jcarbaugh won't say this, but the Sunlight Foundation to which he works for is pretty much pushing the government to adopt API standards. They were the folks who were partially responsible for this great link among other amazing products.

I've been outed! And there goes my plan to covertly push my radical government transparency agenda. Damn you, ALee!

I've only been involved in this for a little under two years and it is amazing to see how quickly the government has become interested in open data. There is still a LONG way to go, but I think we are going to see some great things in the coming years.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#27

Post by rrhyne » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 2:59 AM UTC

mooism2 wrote: post #25

At a different level of government, I'd like a real-time public transport api. Tell me where all the buses and trains are right now, and let me make sense of it for my website's visitors.

Google is got or rather is getting that one done.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#28

Post by GrandMasterBirt » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 3:19 AM UTC

gaius wrote: post #7

shutdown()

This is a quote from my friend's law professor:

"We have courts and trials because at some point we decided to trade in our shotguns for lawyers to settle disputes"

In other words shutdown() returns a Shotgun. (I am refining the API here)

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#29

Post by ambition » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:49 AM UTC

I'd like to see citizens issued with official public/private cryptographic key pairs. I think this would have the potential to hamper identity theft, enable legally meaningful electronic signatures, and bring encrypted/authenticated communication to the public.

Re: Ask HN: What Would you want in a government API?

#30

Post by dfranke » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:21 AM UTC

mooism2 wrote: post #25

At a different level of government, I'd like a real-time public transport api. Tell me where all the buses and trains are right now, and let me make sense of it for my website's visitors.

For the bay area, this exists. http://transit511.org