Our plan begins with the preservation of Public Access to Government Data. We do not believe the next four years bode well for public access to government data. And the access will be necessary to construct a public plan. We are calling this step one of this effort “the Plan to Preserve Public Access to Government Data Anchored in Constitutional Guarantees and Oaths of Office.”

Our Objective is to: To protect public access to government data as a constitutional obligation, ensuring transparency, accountability, and the promotion of the general welfare for current and future generations.

Our Foundational Principles are:

1. The General Welfare Clause – Highlighted in the Preamble and Article I, Section 8, the general welfare principle mandates the government to act in the public’s best interest by supporting informed decision-making and fostering trust. 

2. Oaths of Office   – Public officials swear to uphold and defend the Constitution. This duty includes ensuring that policies and practices align with democratic values, such as transparency, accountability, and public accessibility to information. 

3. First Amendment Protections – Ensures the public’s right to receive and share information freely, reinforcing the importance of accessible government data.

On this basis we propose the following Action Plan…

1. 1 – A Data Preservation and Transparency Initiative consisting of Partnerships: A Collaboration with and between academic institutions, non-profits, and civic organizations to archive datasets at risk of loss or removal.  These datasets are planned for

 1.2. A Public Repository: Develop an accessible online platform named “The Democracy Data Vault,” housing preserved datasets critical to public welfare, including environmental, health, and economic data.

  The rationale guiding the beginning of this effort is: Census data. Census data is essential for defining and addressing the needs of diverse communities, as it provides the core metrics for understanding population distribution, socio-economic conditions, and regional disparities. 

This generates the following action item: – Preserve key datasets from Census.gov, including population statistics, age distribution, race and ethnicity data, income brackets, and housing data. 

Step 2: Further defining the data by usage.

2. Education and Community Development Defined by Census Demographics. 

   Rationale: Census data guides decisions on school funding, community resource planning, and educational initiatives tailored to specific populations. 

   Action Item: Focus on data detailing school enrollment rates, educational attainment levels, and regional resource disparities. 

     3. Economic and Social Welfare Grounded in Community-Level Data

 Rationale: Public programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and unemployment benefits are allocated based on detailed demographic and community-specific data. Restricting access to these datasets undermines the general welfare by preventing effective policy design. 

   Action Items: Preserve datasets on employment rates, housing affordability, and access to social services.       – Demonstrate how these datasets support government initiatives to reduce inequality, improve quality of life, and provide targeted support to vulnerable populations. 

In summary