Public.Resource.Org

A site for anyone interested in making government more open and accessible is Public.Resource.Org. Among other efforts, it offers directories to a wealth of government agencies - the Patent Office, IRS, GPO, GAO, etc. - as well as to laws, public safety codes and information that the site calls the "operating system" of the nation. A non-profit site for the public.

Lighthouses and autopsies

Here's an NPR story about what is a "public good," which is defined for the story as: "something that we all need, that will make our lives better, but that the market will not and cannot provide."

For example:

... autopsies and lighthouses are useful examples of what economists call a public good — "something that we all need, that will make our lives better, but that the market will not and cannot provide," says Charlie Wheelan, who teaches public policy at the University of Chicago. More - with some intriguing comments.