[govinfo] GovInfo News 4-17-2007

  • From: "Patrice McDermott" <pmcdermott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: govinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:40:06 -0400

 
    

- Bush  Allies in Congress Block Bill That Would Require Intelligence 
Disclosures    

- FDA's Web overhaul won't  inform public, critics say    

- First Generation  E-Rulemaking: An Assessment of Regulatory Agency Websites   
 

-  Government Websites and  Political Engagement: Facilitating Citizen Entry 
into the Policy Process    

     

Patrice  McDermott, Director 
  OpenTheGovernment.org 
  www.openthegovernment.org 
  202.332.OPEN (6736)     

     

     

- BUSH ALLIES IN CONGRESS BLOCK BILL THAT WOULD  REQUIRE INTELLIGENCE 
DISCLOSURES     

By Mark Mazzetti    

April 17, 2007    

     

The Bush administration’s allies in Congress  on Monday blocked a bill that 
would require the White House to disclose the  locations of secret prisons run 
by the Central  Intelligence Agency and to reveal the amount spent annually by 
American  intelligence agencies. more    

     

***    

 - FDA'S WEB OVERHAUL WON'T INFORM PUBLIC, CRITICS SAY      

By Aliya Sternstein    

April 16, 2007    

     

Contrary to the expectations of the Food and Drug  Administration, a planned 
overhaul of the FDA's Web site will not generate a  better informed public, 
some health experts say.     On Friday, FDA  Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach 
sent a memorandum  to FDA staff, stating, "A modern and effective FDA Web site 
is critically  important for the agency to serve the public. Improving our Web 
site will help  us to further cultivate trust, transparency, and communication 
among all of our  stakeholders."    In  Friday's notice, Eschenbach stated that 
the first  piece of the new, improved Web environment will be the launch of "a  
user-friendly" Web page: "Consumer Health Information for You and  Your 
Family."    The  agency will discontinue the printing of FDA  Consumer 
magazine, shifting resources to "more effective modern  communication vehicles, 
such as a consumer health information e-newsletter."  more [National  Journal's 
Technology Daily via GovExec]    

     

***    

- FIRST GENERATION  E-RULEMAKING: AN ASSESSMENT OF REGULATORY AGENCY WEBSITES   
 

Stuart Shapiro, Rutgers University,  Cary Coglianese,  Univ of Penn   Law 
School    

     

The  authors examine 89 websites from federal regulatory agencies in order to 
evaluate  their ease of use for those interested in commenting on or learning 
about their  proposed regulations. more    

     

***    

- GOVERNMENT WEBSITES AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT:  FACILITATING CITIZEN ENTRY 
INTO THE POLICY PROCESS     

Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations,  University of 
California-Irvine    

                   

Previous research shows that in the United States,  municipal government 
websites contain both participatory and consumer elements;  however, these 
websites are generally designed to facilitate consumption of  government 
services rather than participation in the policy process. The  evidence 
indicates that ...there is reason to believe that the Internet could  become a 
vehicle to foster greater participation. The paper concludes with  suggestions 
on constructing municipal government websites to facilitate greater  
participation. Link  to paper    

     

                 

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