I was reading a really good article tonight on government data and the Semantic Web, and realized that this pointed me to yet another treasure trove of data from our government. I believe it’s important to be an educated citizen and voter, and one of the great things about the internet is it’s ability to provide us with the information we need in that regard.

Here are some sites I’m fond of:

• AOL Government Guide (I’ve been using this forever; it’s been overtaken to a certain extent by now, but still a goodie)
• THOMAS: Library of Congress legislative info (another long-time favorite, and a great primary source)
• Opensecrets.org (AWESOME guide to where the money in politics comes from, and where it goes)
• FactCheck.org (attempts to fact check and “de-spin” claims made political speeches, election ads, etc. Pretty impartial, IMO)
• GovTrack.us (this is new to me…aggregates other data for high-level review of legislation. Looks to be pretty good)
• CitizenJoe (another new one to me; highlights and discusses national policy debates)

A good reminder list for me (I can always track down stuff I put in my blog!) and a good starter list if you’re looking to keep your eye on what’s really going on with those pesky legislators!