government transparency

You might be surprised that the states having the most government transparency

July 3rd, 2011 |

Author: admin

It’s not often that Texas or Arizona have bragging rights regarding their state governments, but when it comes to transparency, citizens who live in Texas or Arizona and feel like they are being shafted, can’t pretend like “they had no idea” because they can go online and find out. In fact, both Texas and Arizona get a grade of “A” from U.S. PIRG. [U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being.

MISSION STATEMENT:U.S. PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. When consumers are cheated, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, U.S. PIRG speaks up and takes action. We uncover threats to public health and well-being and fight to end them, using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation. U.S. PIRG's mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects our health, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government.

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The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending checks corruption, bolsters public confidence, and promotes fiscal responsibility.

State governments across the country have been moving toward making their checkbooks transparent by creating online transparency portals – government-operated websites that allow visitors to see who receives state money and for what purposes. Forty states provide transparency websites that allow residents to access databases of government expenditures with “checkbook-level” detail. Most of these websites are also searchable, making it easier for residents to follow the money and monitor government spending. [ from U.S. PIRG]

See How the 50 States Rank In Providing Online Access To Government Spending Data