(2005-09-30) Kleiner Open Source Legislation

Art Kleiner suggests Open Source Legislation to create a more Transparent Society. Imagine if every bill under discussion and every regulation was posted in its entirety on the Internet. Then anyone with an interest could comment and read each other's comments. The committees responsible for making decisions would have, in effect, access to anyone whose interests might be involved. This kind of open-source regulation would, like open-source software, allow for the political community as a whole to learn. Not incidentally, it would also showcase the talents of up-and-coming young legal stars, who could make a name for themselves by volunteering to reconcile the disparate interests who have commented on the bills. Open-source legislation would be one way to acknowledge the significance of organizations, because organizations would inevitably be the key participants in the marking-up process, just as IBM and Red Hat and other organizations have been significant participants in developing Linux. Except now, as with open-source software, the contributions of organizations would be visible to those who care.