Episode 948: ‘Moneyball’ for Politics

Newt talks with John Hart, CEO of Open the Books. Open the Books is a non-profit that operates the largest private database of public spending, encompassing 10 billion data points, including federal salaries, state checkbooks, and municipal spending. Their mission is to make this information accessible to journalists, researchers, activists, public officials, and taxpayers in near real-time. They have partnered with Citizen Portal to integrate artificial intelligence, allowing taxpayers to compare political statements with actual spending. This collaboration aims to prevent fraud by using AI for pattern recognition and prediction, similar to how Galileo's telescope revolutionized astronomy. The initiative, called Aqueduct, seeks to enhance citizen engagement by providing clear insights into government spending. The collaboration is expected to have a significant impact on government transparency both in the U.S. and globally.

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