Abstract:

Lay summary: The article analyzes performance data from President Obama's flagship Open Data Program. The Open Data Program encouraged federal agencies to publish government data on the Open Data website to increase government transparency and collaboration. It inspired similar programs worldwide. The data analysis reveals that poor program performance: Most agencies either did not participate in the program or participated minimally; data published was often incomprehensible or not of high-quality. Publication significance: President Obama's Open Data Program presented a fresh approach to increasing government transparency and inter-government information sharing. The article presents the first analysis of Open Data Program performance data and finds that the program performed poorly. It is essential that future government transparency initiatives review these results and engage with understanding why the Open Data Program did not thrive.