The Power of Open Government: A Discussion with OIRA Administrator Cass Sunstein

President Obama pledged to make his administration the most open and transparent in history and signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government to make government more accountable soon after taking office. In December, the Office of Management and Budget released the Open Government Directive, instructing federal agencies to improve the quality of government information and to embrace a culture of open government. At the center of that effort is Cass Sunstein, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

On Wednesday, March 10, Brookings Co-Director of Economic Studies Ted Gayer moderated an event with Cass Sunstein. Sunstein discussed the implementation of this new initiative and addressed some of the fundamental questions facing modern government, including ways to increase participation and transparency in rulemaking and how to democratize data. He explained how his office is striving for regulation that supports fairness, equity and the role of cost-benefit analysis and behavioral economics in regulation.

After the program, Sunstein took audience questions.