National Budget Transparency

The Problem

The federal budget is the single largest expression of national priorities, yet it remains effectively opaque to the citizens who fund it.  Summary figures are available, but detailed breakdowns — where the money actually goes, in terms ordinary people can understand — require expertise and effort that most Americans cannot reasonably be expected to invest.

A government that serves the governed must be a government that the governed can see.  Budget transparency is not a luxury; it is a basic obligation of democratic governance.

What We Propose

By Executive Order, we will create a persistent public website providing detailed oversight of the entire national budget, subdivided into as much detail as the public desires.

The only limitations will be personnel, time, and budget constraints — which we will always explicitly state, so the public knows exactly what they’re getting and what remains to be done.

Updates will be provided no less than quarterly, and as frequently as developments merit.  See our progress so far in the Seeing the Budget section.

How We’ll Know It’s Working