Read the labs blog
SunlightLabs Resources
This is a short list of some of the sites we know about that are original sources of government data, that are secondary or tertirary processors of such data, or that supply APIs to get at that data.
Basic Clerical Information + Profiles
- Sunlight labs API
- OpenCongress
- Govtrack
- Biographical Directory of US Congress
- Congressional Directory
- House.gov
- Senate.gov
- Civic Footprint : Chicago-focussed
- Congresspedia
- Washington Post
- Eventful : look under 'performers' for members of congress
- Open Secrets : Revolving Door Database
- Open Secrets : Personal Financial Disclosure Database
Voting Records & Bills
- Govtrack
- Washington Watch
- Washington Post
- OpenCongress
- Richmond Sunlight : Richmond, VA-focussed
- Read The Bill
- Washington Post
- http://www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/index.html: format: ascii, pdf; completeness: since 103rd Congress
- Bills : format: ascii, pdf; completeness: since 103rd Congress
- Bills: format: xml; completeness: House only, since 108th Congress
Government Committees, Reports & Other Documents
- Thomas.gov : one of the key government data sources
- CREW : Freedom of Information Act Documents
- Metavid : searchable video of legislative proceedings
- Congressional reports : format: ascii; completeness: since 104th Congress
- Federal Register: format: ascii, pdf; completeness: since 1994
- Government Accounting Office Reports: format: ascii; completeness: since 1993
- US Code : Format: ascii; completeness: current only, previous versions can be purchased on CD-ROM
- Code of Federal Regulations: format: ascii, pdf
- Code of Federal Regulations: format: ascii, pdf
Local & State Politics
- Institute on Money in State Politics
- Project VoteSmart
- Richmond Sunlight : Richmond, VA-focussed
Campaign Finances
- Center For Responsive Politics
- MapLight : Calif-focussed.
- FundRace
- Legistorm : Staffer salaries
- Political Money Line
Grants and Contracts
Congressional Hearings
- http://www.gpoaccess.gov/chearings/index.html: format: ascii, pdf; completeness: Since 105th Congress
Congressional Record
- http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html: format: ascii, pdf; completeness: since 1994
Sites with APIs
Full APIs:
- Sunlight labs API
- Eventful API
- Institute on Money in State Politics API
- Civic Footprint API : Chicago-focussed.
- Who is my representative API : zip -> representative's clerical info
With XML files:
- Govtrack's XML files
- Bills: format: xml; completeness: House only, since 108th Congress
Other, More General Resources
Technical
- Programmmable Web : APIs
- Yahoo! Pipes: scraping + APIs
- Dapper : scraping tools
- OpenKapow : scraping tools
General
- Offical USA portal
- How government works
- List of govermnet agencies
- How legislation is made
- Influence in Government : great list of govmt URLs
- List of government sites/agencies
- Who's who in goverment : staff list / sites
- Egov