THE TRANSPARENCY POLICY PROJECT
Seeking to understand and improve disclosure systems that protect the public
The Transparency Policy Project seeks to understand and improve disclosure of factual information that protects the public. Nutritional labels, car safety ratings, toxic chemical reports, and financial accounting standards are among the scores of policies that aim to reduce risks. The Project is affiliated with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard Kennedy School. The Transparency Policy Project houses Transparency for Development, a collaborative initiative to study the impact of transparency on health outcomes.
We have constructed a framework for assessing the effectiveness of disclosure systems designed to improve public health and safety, reduce risks to investors, minimize corruption, and improve public services. The Project also explores the power and limits of technology to create collective knowledge that serves the public in the United States, Europe and developing countries.
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In Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency and dozens of other publications we explain how information disclosure can go wrong and how new approaches can inform everyday choices, save lives and reduce injuries, improve business products and practices, and lead to more effective government.
READ CHAPTER 4 of Full Disclosure to learn more about the effectiveness of transparency policies.