A Canada Votes Dbase + Welcome!

[Tracey P. Lauriault-2]

Greetings / Bonjour!


I have been thinking about what to post to the list, and well, this timely announcement arrived on my desktop a few minutes ago! / Je cherchais un sujet pour notre nouvelle liste, et, soundainement je reçois le message suivant sur mon ordi. Niiice!

**********
I had 4 conversations this week about how to get access to Ottawa city Council councilor votes (virtually impossible really!), and for obvious reasons, I have been looking for other types of election data this week (e.g. such as who funds who and from where, who voted what when, geolocated poling results, trying to find tools that would show the spatial impact or model the real implications of of party platforms, etc.)  While the WP dbase is not the answer to all of my info & data dreams, and it is run by a major news distributor, it is an nice citizen decision support tool.

What are your thoughts? Is there one of these in Canada at any scale (mun, prov/terr, fed)?

and

Welcome to the list!
Tracey

***************

Cette semaine je voulais m'informer de la façon que les conceilliers de la ville d'Ottawa on voté sur certains sujets (wow! presque impossible!).  Aussi, les elections courrante m'inspire de chercher pour toutes sortes de données, tel que : qui subventionne les différents partis politiques, de quel regions viennent ces fonds, qui a voté pour quoi, les resultats des enquètes politiques par regions, des outils qui démontrerais les effets réels sur l'environement des propositions et des exemples qui me permettraient de façon visuelles de voir et manipuler les implications des platformes, etc.  Bref, la banque de données du Washington Post ne réponds à mes demandes, mais, comme citoyennes, c'est un petit outil qui me semble utile à former des décisions informées.

Qu'en pensez-vous? Est-ce qu'il y a un modèle comme celui-ci pour le Canada?

et

bienvenu à tous sur la liste!

Tracey
-----Original Message-----
From: Appalachian Studies [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Roy
Silver
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 11:25 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: U.S. Congress Votes Database

U.S. Congress Votes Database
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/

While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.
Utilizing a variety of authoritative data sources (such as the web site of
the Senate and the Library of Congress's THOMAS site), the database contains
the results of every vote cast in the Congress since 1991. Visitors can look
at vote results in a variety of different ways, such as particular Congress
or a particular individual. Recently, they also added a selection of "Votes
by Type", such as those cast on impeachments, treaties, and vice-
presidential tiebreakers. Additionally, the site contains a RSS feed of
recent votes by each member of Congress.

[Michael Lenczner]

"Additionally, the site contains a RSS feed of recent votes by each
member of Congress."

drool!

(I'm not sure how many people are on the list right now, but for any
of you who don't know what RSS feeds are, it's like easily being able
to sign up for email announcements on subjects of your choice, but you
don't have to request permession to subscribe or unsubscribe.  it's
all handled by the user.)



On 1/13/06, Tracey P. Lauriault <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Greetings / Bonjour!
>
>
> I have been thinking about what to post to the list, and well, this timely announcement arrived on my desktop a few minutes ago! / Je cherchais un sujet pour notre nouvelle liste, et, soundainement je reçois le message suivant sur mon ordi. Niiice!
>
> **********
> I had 4 conversations this week about how to get access to Ottawa city Council councilor votes (virtually impossible really!), and for obvious reasons, I have been looking for other types of election data this week (e.g. such as who funds who and from where, who voted what when, geolocated poling results, trying to find tools that would show the spatial impact or model the real implications of of party platforms, etc.)  While the WP dbase is not the answer to all of my info & data dreams, and it is run by a major news distributor, it is an nice citizen decision support tool.
>
> What are your thoughts? Is there one of these in Canada at any scale (mun, prov/terr, fed)?
>
> and
>
> Welcome to the list!
> Tracey
>
> ***************
>
> Cette semaine je voulais m'informer de la façon que les conceilliers de la ville d'Ottawa on voté sur certains sujets (wow! presque impossible!).  Aussi, les elections courrante m'inspire de chercher pour toutes sortes de données, tel que : qui subventionne les différents partis politiques, de quel regions viennent ces fonds, qui a voté pour quoi, les resultats des enquètes politiques par regions, des outils qui démontrerais les effets réels sur l'environement des propositions et des exemples qui me permettraient de façon visuelles de voir et manipuler les implications des platformes, etc.  Bref, la banque de données du Washington Post ne réponds à mes demandes, mais, comme citoyennes, c'est un petit outil qui me semble utile à former des décisions informées.
>
> Qu'en pensez-vous? Est-ce qu'il y a un modèle comme celui-ci pour le Canada?
>
> et
>
> bienvenu à tous sur la liste!
>
> Tracey
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Appalachian Studies [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Roy
> Silver
> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 11:25 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: U.S. Congress Votes Database
>
> U.S. Congress Votes Database
> http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/
>
> While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
> in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
> created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.
> Utilizing a variety of authoritative data sources (such as the web site of
> the Senate and the Library of Congress's THOMAS site), the database contains
> the results of every vote cast in the Congress since 1991. Visitors can look
> at vote results in a variety of different ways, such as particular Congress
> or a particular individual. Recently, they also added a selection of "Votes
> by Type", such as those cast on impeachments, treaties, and vice-
> presidential tiebreakers. Additionally, the site contains a RSS feed of
> recent votes by each member of Congress.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>

[Stephane Guidoin]

> While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
> in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
> created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.

It's not far from what HowdTheyVote.ca and TheyWorkForYou.com (U.K) are doing.
The adjunction of RSS feeds is really useful (as some webservices could be) as
it also allow other websites to automatically print specific news (concerning a
specific MP or Bill).

It's amazing to see so many initiatives growing. There's obviously a need
somewhere.

Other data like fundraising/fund providers became a question of interest (i.e
Stephen Harper during one of the TV debate and the Bulte story). In this domain
it would be interesting to make an inventory of a. Required data, b. Existing
data, c. format/usability of existing data.

Stéphane

[Hugh McGuire]

my idea is to have a canadaelections.ca (or somesuch) wiki (for those
who don't know: wikis are web pages that anyone can edit, so you can get
a big group to put together much info quickly). you would have a page on
each policy question (health, military, education etc) and synopsis of
policy positions of each party, with an effort made to be objective.
there could also be some space for analysis & discussion, but I think
just having the information would be useful. You might also have info
about past campaign promises in each area, and whether the parties lived
up to their promises (for incumbent).

the wiki would include also pages on each riding, and each candidate,
with more particular questions, ie: how they voted on various issues,
their funding sources etc. also should have here, past campaign promises
and whether they were seen through.

once the infrastructure is in place, the updating would happen as new
elections present themselves, and as policy decisions get made.

so in the end you would have one place where moreorless objective data
about the political process would be collected, and updated.

hugh mcguire.




Stephane Guidoin wrote:

>>While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
>>in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
>>created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.
>
>
> It's not far from what HowdTheyVote.ca and TheyWorkForYou.com (U.K) are doing.
> The adjunction of RSS feeds is really useful (as some webservices could be) as
> it also allow other websites to automatically print specific news (concerning a
> specific MP or Bill).
>
> It's amazing to see so many initiatives growing. There's obviously a need
> somewhere.
>
> Other data like fundraising/fund providers became a question of interest (i.e
> Stephen Harper during one of the TV debate and the Bulte story). In this domain
> it would be interesting to make an inventory of a. Required data, b. Existing
> data, c. format/usability of existing data.
>
> Stéphane
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>

[Michael Lenczner]

i think that's what michael pilling is trying to do with http://openpolitics.ca/

I'm not sure if he joined the list yet, though.

On 1/13/06, Hugh McGuire <[hidden email]> wrote:

> my idea is to have a canadaelections.ca (or somesuch) wiki (for those
> who don't know: wikis are web pages that anyone can edit, so you can get
> a big group to put together much info quickly). you would have a page on
> each policy question (health, military, education etc) and synopsis of
> policy positions of each party, with an effort made to be objective.
> there could also be some space for analysis & discussion, but I think
> just having the information would be useful. You might also have info
> about past campaign promises in each area, and whether the parties lived
> up to their promises (for incumbent).
>
> the wiki would include also pages on each riding, and each candidate,
> with more particular questions, ie: how they voted on various issues,
> their funding sources etc. also should have here, past campaign promises
> and whether they were seen through.
>
> once the infrastructure is in place, the updating would happen as new
> elections present themselves, and as policy decisions get made.
>
> so in the end you would have one place where moreorless objective data
> about the political process would be collected, and updated.
>
> hugh mcguire.
>
>
>
>
> Stephane Guidoin wrote:
> >>While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
> >>in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
> >>created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.
> >
> >
> > It's not far from what HowdTheyVote.ca and TheyWorkForYou.com (U.K) are doing.
> > The adjunction of RSS feeds is really useful (as some webservices could be) as
> > it also allow other websites to automatically print specific news (concerning a
> > specific MP or Bill).
> >
> > It's amazing to see so many initiatives growing. There's obviously a need
> > somewhere.
> >
> > Other data like fundraising/fund providers became a question of interest (i.e
> > Stephen Harper during one of the TV debate and the Bulte story). In this domain
> > it would be interesting to make an inventory of a. Required data, b. Existing
> > data, c. format/usability of existing data.
> >
> > Stéphane
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> > [hidden email]
> > http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>

[Hugh McGuire]

i should have said: "I hope someone is doing the following: ..."
rather than, "my idea is ..."

Michael Lenczner wrote:

> i think that's what michael pilling is trying to do with http://openpolitics.ca/
>
> I'm not sure if he joined the list yet, though.
>
> On 1/13/06, Hugh McGuire <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>>my idea is to have a canadaelections.ca (or somesuch) wiki (for those
>>who don't know: wikis are web pages that anyone can edit, so you can get
>>a big group to put together much info quickly). you would have a page on
>>each policy question (health, military, education etc) and synopsis of
>>policy positions of each party, with an effort made to be objective.
>>there could also be some space for analysis & discussion, but I think
>>just having the information would be useful. You might also have info
>>about past campaign promises in each area, and whether the parties lived
>>up to their promises (for incumbent).
>>
>>the wiki would include also pages on each riding, and each candidate,
>>with more particular questions, ie: how they voted on various issues,
>>their funding sources etc. also should have here, past campaign promises
>>and whether they were seen through.
>>
>>once the infrastructure is in place, the updating would happen as new
>>elections present themselves, and as policy decisions get made.
>>
>>so in the end you would have one place where moreorless objective data
>>about the political process would be collected, and updated.
>>
>>hugh mcguire.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Stephane Guidoin wrote:
>>
>>>>While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials
>>>>in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database
>>>>created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly.
>>>
>>>
>>>It's not far from what HowdTheyVote.ca and TheyWorkForYou.com (U.K) are doing.
>>>The adjunction of RSS feeds is really useful (as some webservices could be) as
>>>it also allow other websites to automatically print specific news (concerning a
>>>specific MP or Bill).
>>>
>>>It's amazing to see so many initiatives growing. There's obviously a need
>>>somewhere.
>>>
>>>Other data like fundraising/fund providers became a question of interest (i.e
>>>Stephen Harper during one of the TV debate and the Bulte story). In this domain
>>>it would be interesting to make an inventory of a. Required data, b. Existing
>>>data, c. format/usability of existing data.
>>>
>>>Stéphane
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
>>>[hidden email]
>>>http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
>>[hidden email]
>>http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>