Voting for Glass Houses

The Internet could be a great tool transparency in the legislative process but neither house of Congress nor the councils of the 35 largest cities in the US makes an individual legislator's votes—on the floor or in committee—available in a simple, downloadable format. According to new research by J. H. Snider—the president of iSolon.org, a nonprofit aimed at advancing government transparency through new technologies—it's not inertia that holds the government back, nor orgcost (an unpaid intern could do it), nor lack of demand. It's not even the novelty of the idea. Instead, Snider says, it's simply self-interest. Politicians are ultimately more worried about thwarting the mischief that potential rivals could do with the data than they are interested in educating voters.