In honor of Sunshine Week, check out these links to easily searchable government data

IT’S SUNSHINE WEEK!  In addition to engaging in dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information, this is a time to get acquainted with government data sets!  Government bodies are releasing millions of data sets that are available at our fingertips and easily searchable.  For starters, check out data about your state, county, city, your ZIP code, your school district or even your specific school.  Here is a list of websites to get you started.   

GOVERNMENT DATA AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

MUNICIPAL
http://www.data.gov/cities/
Find federal datasets concerning specific municipalities.  Search by topic, also. 

https://data.cityofchicago.org
Search and browse hundreds of city datasets.  Search by category or topic. 

COUNTY
http://www.data.gov/counties/
Find federal datasets concerning specific counties.  Search by topic, also.

https://cookcountyclerk.com 
Find birth, marriage, & death records; delinquent property tax search; Cook County ordinances; election results; polling locations; directory of elected officials; maps; lobbyist reports; TIF property searches, reports, and maps; and ethics filings.

STATE
http://www.data.gov/states/
Search for federal datasets concerning states.  Search by topic, also.

https://data.illinois.gov 
Search and browse thousands of state datasets.  Search by municipality, category, or topic. 

Illinois Sex Offender Information
https://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/sor.cfm

Illinois Department of Transportation
http://www.dot.state.il.us/
Find project information and maps

Illinois Report Card
http://www.illinoisreportcard.com/
Find facts about individual schools, including ISAT scores, PSAE scores, total enrollment, number of schools, number of teachers, student mobility, graduation rates, college readiness rates, instructional average spending per student, and average operational spending per student.  Also, view indicators of academic progress, district environment, student characteristics.  Compare your school to others. 

FEDERAL

https://data.gov/open-gov/
Portal to search for federal datasets for cities, counties, and states. 

USA Spending
http://usaspending.gov
Search for federal contracts by agency, department, vendor, or fiscal year.

U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics
http://lehd.ces.census.gov/
View combined federal, state, and Census Bureau data on employers and employees.  Statistics on employment, earnings, and job flows at detailed levels of geography and industry and for different demographic groups. 

Toxics Release Inventory Program
http://www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program

Enter an address for maps locating toxic chemicals in your community.
http://www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-data-and-tools
Access reports and downloadable files tracking the management of more than 650 toxic chemicals used at U.S. industrial facilities. 

INTERNATIONAL

https://opencorporates.com
Information on millions of companies worldwide.  Search by name, filter by jurisdiction.

Offshore Leaks Database
https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/
Search for offshore companies and trusts, by country.

Investigative Dashboard
http://investigativedashboard.org/
Search through 450 online databases across 120 countries for information on shareholders, directors, and financial reports of companies worldwide. 

Thanks to reporter Jeff Lowenstein for compiling this list and for his fantastic presentation at the Chicago Headline Club sponsored FOIA Fest 2014 hosted at Loyola University to kickoff Sunshine Week.