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kfogel • today at 4:42 AM • 2 replies • view on HN

NYT, 2007:

"... Think of what version control software could mean for the Congress [...]. If bills were created under a system where strike-throughs and additions were carefully tracked, the public would know which legislator made which change to a proposed piece of legislation as it made its way through the Capitol.

At last, there would be transparency in the legislative process. Best-case scenario, it would shame legislators from inserting language against the public interest and only meant to reward political contributors; at worst, it would make such insertions public and allow the voters to punish the politicians who made them. ..."

(from https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/business/media/23link.htm... )


Replies

JumpCrisscross • today at 5:43 AM

> it would shame legislators from inserting language against the public interest and only meant to reward political contributors

You’d just got a system of favors for who inserts what language. You’d hand tough edits to your safe-seat colleagues and insert messaging amendments designed to get voted down for own comms.

When a measure becomes a target yada yada.

(Note: this proposal is for the U.S. code. Not bills. Git for the USC works.)

jonahhorowitz • today at 5:18 AM

I've always wanted this. It's such an obvious idea when you're a software engineer.

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