Recent articles by Paul Blumenthal from governing.com http://www.governing.com/authors/rss/rss/?a=92870104 Paul Blumenthal is the Senior Writer at the Sunlight Foundation. A regular blogger for the site, Paul touches on a wide variety of transparency-related subjects including congressional corruption, the bank bailout, lobbying disclosures and the news of the day. What You Can Do with TransparencyData.com http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/What-you-can-do-with-TransparencyDatacom.html Sunlight Labs announced the release of TransparencyData.com in April. The site makes searching, obtaining and downloading government data so much easier than it has ever been. Why Apply Transparency to Lobbying? http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/Why-apply-transparency-to-lobbying.html The one significant change in disclosure that goes to the root of the public fears of lobbying would be immediate disclosure of lobbyist contact with lawmakers, government officials and government offices. There an informational valley here that creates extreme distrust and fear. Introducing the Cycle of Transparency http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/Introducing-Cycle-of-Transparency.html The "Cycle of Transparency" demonstrates the specific actions and the variety of actors that need to work together to create the open, transparent government we seek--a useful tool in thinking about how to make governments more transparent. Labor Groups Use Ark. Primary As Citizens United Testing Ground http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/AR-Primary-Citizens-United.html The Arkansas Senate primary between Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter is acting as a testing ground for express advocacy advertisements allowed under the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. Earmark Transparency Still Makes More Sense than a Ban http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/earmark-transparency.html The Sunlight Foundation recently sent a letter seeking cosponsors for H.R. 5258 and S. 3335, which would require the creation of a centralized database of earmarks and earmark requests. Less of a Non-Sequitur Response on Campaign Finance http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/non-sequitor-response-on-campaign-finance.html If you could create your own system of campaign finance laws that encourages and prioritizes transparency and disclosure, what would they look like? It's Not Easy Being Non-Partisan http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/its-not-easy-being-non-partisan.html Being a non-partisan organization may seem ambiguous, but Sunlight Foundation maintains that transparency is something both political sides can agree on and fight for. Rahm Emanuel's White House Visitor Trail http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/Rahm-Emanuels-White-House-visitor-trail.html White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel left the White House to pursue a bid to be the next Mayor of Chicago. Who visited Emanuel while in the White House, and what could that meant for his future -- and the White House's? Post-Citizens United Disclosure Down Significantly http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/Post-Citizens-United-disclosure-down-significantly.html The Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling opened up a massive hole in the disclosure regime governing campaign spending. And it affected the number of independent groups disclosing to the Federal Election Commission. The Citizens United Effect http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/The-Citizens-United-Effect.html The Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling allowed this election to be the costliest and least transparent midterm in recent history.