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Only 15% of Congressional Websites Are Ready for HTTPS
A Sunlight Foundation analysis found only 15 percent of congressional websites are ready for HTTPS.
- Sunlight analysis reveals only 15 percent of congressional websites are HTTPS ready by Tim Ball, Sunlight Foundation (May 26, 2015).
In this article we will describe the methodology of the survey and present the survey results. We will also offer a brief analysis of what can be done to address the situation. It is important to note that this evaluation should not and is not a reflection on individual members of Congress or their websites, but is reflective of the entities that host those websites. We know this because across the 652 websites surveyed they were only served from 24 IP addresses.
Sunlight is interested in seeing Congress take sound steps to properly secure its — and the American people’s — information. This author, in particular, hopes that lawmakers will read this analysis and ponder some of the questions that have been raised, potentially making changes to improve their security practices. To that end, we’ll run these tests again periodically to identify any changes that they may or may not make. See you all very soon!
Twenty Years of THOMAS
Andrew Weber, Legislative Information Systems Manager at the Law Library of Congress, writes about the history of THOMAS, which is now Congress.gov.
- Twenty Years of THOMAS, by Andrew Weber, In Custodia Legis, blog of the Law Library of Congress (January 5, 2015).
Electronic Toolbox for Congressional Information
Daniel Schuman, Policy Director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has posted a list of very useful free digital tools that should be of use to “any self-respecting congressional staffer, Member of Congress, journalist, or public advocate.” Daniel notes that “All are free, run on information published by Congress or cobbled together from official sources, and most are built on open source code.” These are good free sources and good alternatives to the (sometimes pricy) commercial sources.
- Electronic Toolbox for Congress. Daniel Schuman (December 2, 2014)
Some headings:
Committee Meeting Calendar
Follow House Floor Action
Google Alerts for Government (but not Google)
Collaboratively Write the Bill
Read the Bill
Read the Law
Congressional Staff Directory
Inspector General Reports
Searchable Press Releases
House Activities
A Few More Tricks
Search Congressional Press Releases
Derek Willis posted a brief announcement of a new service that will allow you to browse & search (titles only) congressional releases. An API is forthcoming.
I wonder if any library will be smart enough to make use of the API to preserve these elusive (dare I say, “fugitive”?) documents?
The “Evolving” Congress
Here is a new CRS report on “The Evolving Congress.” It is a compendium of 22 reports that examine how and why Congress evolved over the previous decades to where it is today.
- Congressional Research Service. 2014. The Evolving Congress. Senate. Committee on Rules and Administration. Senate Committee Print 113–30 (“89–394”) (Y 4.R 86/2) Washington: Government Printing Office. (December 1, 2014).
Well documented with lots of citations.
Table of Contents
- The Evolving Congress: Overview and Analysis of the Modern Era
- Being a Member of Congress: Some Notable Changes During the Last Half Century
- Tweet Your Congressman: The Rise of Electronic Communications in Congress
- Collaborative Relationships and Lawmaking in the U.S. Senate: A Perspective Drawn from Firsthand Accounts
- The 113th Congress and the U.S. Population: Discussion and Analysis of Selected Characteristics
- Congressional Staffing: The Continuity of Change and Reform
- The Unchanging Nature of Congressional Elections
- Understanding Congressional Approval: Public Opinion from 1974 to 2014
- Comparing Modern Congresses: Can Productivity Be Measured?
- Recent Innovations in Special Rules in the House of Representatives
- Changes in the Purposes and Frequency of Authorizations of Appropriations
- Congress Evolving in the Face of Complexity: Legislative Efforts to Embed Transparency, Participation, and Representation in Agency Operations
- Committee Assignments and Party Leadership: An Analysis of Developments in the Modern Congress
- Congress and Financial Crises
- Shocks to the System: Congress and the Establishment of the Department of Homeland Security
- Like Clockwork: Senate Consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act
- The SBA and Small Business Policymaking in Congress
- Use of the Appropriations Process to Influence Census Bureau Policy: The Case of Adjustment
- The Evolution of U.S. Disaster Relief Policy
- Congress’ Role in the Evolution of Federal Block Grants as a Policy Instrument: From Community Development to Homeland Security
- The Tax Extenders: How Congressional Rules and Outside Interests Shape Policy
- The Dynamics of Congressional Policymaking: Tax Reform
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