Top 10 list (American Transparency Project)

USApedia Stats
Pages	9,396
Edits	25,941
Drilldown counts
Organizatios	1,154
Programs	408

The Top 10 features and benefits of the American Transparency Project for public understanding of the United States government:

1. Promote Openness — The project advocates for a comprehensive, public-facing repository of information about the United States government, drawing from official sources to make structural and operational details more accessible.
2. Enhance public trust — Greater transparency in federal operations allows citizens to better understand government functions, spending, and impacts on daily life.
3. Familiar software platform — USApedia uses the same MediaWiki software that powers Wikipedia, one of the world's most visited websites.
4. Expanded scope beyond basic organization charts — The wiki documents not only federal agencies but also partner organizations and contractors involved in government work.
5. Full-text search capability — Users can search page titles, content, and some metadata by entering keywords, with results returned from across the wiki.
6. Queryable structured data and drilldowns — Cargo tables enable dynamic filtering and browsing of over 1,100 organizations and 400+ programs by attributes such as type, parent agency, sponsoring organization, creation legislation, and more (see Special:Drilldown/Organization and Special:Drilldown/Program).
7. Real-time updates — Pages can reflect the latest policy changes, funding shifts, leadership updates, or other developments to maintain current and accurate information.
8. Support for understanding government structures — The resource helps agency staff, researchers, journalists, and the public navigate and comprehend federal agencies and programs.
9. Documentation of programs and initiatives — The wiki catalogs government programs in a structured format, including fields for program name, type, sponsor organization, creation legislation, purpose, start date, initial funding, duration, and historic/active status (via the Program Cargo table with 426 entries).
10. Contribution to government transparency — The project supports broader efforts to increase openness in federal operations through accessible, structured information.

Overview of the OpenUSA Project

The OpenUSA Project (which includes USApedia) is a low-cost wiki-based platform that centralizes publicly available information about U.S. federal agencies, programs, partnerships, contractors, and related structures. It aims to make this data easier to access, search, and update for citizens, government employees, and researchers.

Key aspects include:

1. Centralized documentation of government initiatives — Draws from official records to describe programs, achievements, and operations in a structured format.
2. Support for accountability and trust — Real-time updates and public access help provide clearer views of how government functions and uses resources.
3. Low overhead — Operates at minimal cost while offering tools for information sharing and collaboration.
4. Public participation — Registered editors can contribute verified content, subject to moderation and sourcing guidelines.
5. Content safeguards — Policies and moderation help ensure accuracy, protect sensitive information where required, and address any errors promptly.

This platform serves as one resource among many for understanding and engaging with government activities.

Get involved

1. [Fill out this form](https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=6McPC4D0wUmjAqAV-FZ3APpSmYq17dVIoweOg48yiJNUQVBFR1JYQzBIV082OVJNNkhQMlREMlFOViQlQCN0PWcu) to become an editor. Contributions of various skill levels are welcome, and the team continues to improve editing tools.
2. Share the wiki with others interested in government transparency.
3. Explore the structured data, such as the growing list of documented 1,167 organizations or 426 programs.

Transparency in government operations is a widely supported goal among Americans across political lines, as shown in surveys indicating strong public interest in openness and accountability.