Government outreach and engagement

Wikimedia DC works with federal, state, and local government agencies to encourage adoption of free knowledge and free data practices, including government-operated cultural institutions. We also work with private organizations who share our goal of access to government data.

Legislative Data Project
Wikimedia DC and the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute have been collaborating on improving coverage on Wikipedia and Wikisource of bills proposed before the U.S. Congress, in conjunction with Wikipedia's Legislative Data WikiProject. Cato works to make Congressional data machine readable through its Cato XML structured data project. Cato employees and Wikimedia DC volunteers have worked together to write articles on pending bills.

Transparency Time: Wikipedia-Editing for Congress
On August 18, 2014, Jim Harper, (User:JimHarperDC), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; Michelle Newby, (User:HistoricMN44), Legislative Researcher/Writer, Cato Institute; and Jim Hayes, (User:Slowking4), Member, Wikimedia DC Public Policy Committee; moderated by John Maniscalco, Director, Congressional Affairs, Cato Institute; held a panel discussion of congressional Wikipedia editing and the sea change to government transparency it might produce on Capital Hill at the Rayburn House Office Building.

If you have ideas for government outreach and engagement, contact info@undefinedwikimediadc.org.