Describe your idea:
A database that shows every penny the government spends (and receives). Display format could be as a spreadsheet with a filter-interface to reduce the number of lines. Ideally it should break down by lots of categories: specific localities, specific vendors, comparison of date ranges for same thing, etc. Data easy to tap: just dial up their accountants.
What problem does it solve?:
Government transparency. It also could lead to a ‘VoteToCut’ system in which people can vote on which budget items they disagree with.
Type of idea: A piece of infrastructure or an API
I vote for this idea.
Another informative way to use this information would be to compare it to other countries so that we can see healthcare as % of budget etc
I also suggest that you should run your suggestion page with google moderator so that we can vote for ideas.
Similar proposals: “Where does it go?” and “OurMoney”.
Check out Where Does My Money Go http://wheredoesmymoneygo.org/ an existing project aiming to do this – please help them out!
Francis, thanks for mentioning our Where Does My Money Go project. I’d love to hear from people who are interested in this kind of effort — we’re at an early stage and would welcome input (and assistance!).