Mapbox Visualization of Sequestration Cuts
Faced with deep spending cuts due to sequestration, the White House recently released documents detailing state by state expenditure reductions. However, they were presented in PDFs, not a machine readable format. With minimal effort, two separate maps (here and here) have been built on collaborative platforms for no taxpayer cost. As this explanation details, these projects run on easily accessible tools. After some quick data entry, a series of simple and automated scripts allowed the sequestration cuts to appear in an interactive visual format. Presenting civic information in ways that simply convey the contours of a problem engages a larger audience on complex issues. These maps demonstrate the power of open government data.
