Building Dialogue

Pundits, media hosts, and average citizens have all expressed dismay when looking at our contemporary political landscape, yet there are many signs that positive change is occurring.  For example, the Open Government Directive has been in place for a little over a year and as a result, every federal department published an open government plan, over 300,000 new data sets were made available to the public, and hundreds of new ideas have been shared.  Progress at the federal level has inspired progress elsewhere.  Leaders at the local, state, national, and international level are exploring new ways to connect their communities with the process of governance.  As of December 22,  10 other nations, 22 American states, and 9 American cities have created open data portals as a result of the open government initiative.  By continuing to share ideas and resources we can improve the ways in which we live and work together.  We wish you the best in making the world a better place.