Welcome to the Movement for Transparent, Public Code

We’re living in a peculiar moment in American history. Your tax dollars—money taken from your paycheck, your small business, your community—fund billions of dollars in government software every single year. And you can’t see it. You can’t audit it. You can’t use it. It’s locked away behind proprietary agreements and vendor lock-in.

That is not only wasteful. It’s profoundly anti-democratic.

The Problem Is Bigger Than You Think

Consider this: When the pandemic hit, states rushed to build unemployment insurance systems. California spent $260 million. Illinois spent $230 million. New York spent $150 million. Each state built their own system from scratch, each one buggy, each one slow, each one failing hundreds of thousands of desperate people during a crisis.

That’s $640 million to solve the same problem four times.

But it gets worse. The code is proprietary. Owned by the vendor. The state government paid for its development, but the government doesn’t own it. Can’t modify it. Can’t audit it for security vulnerabilities. Can’t share it with other states that face the same problem.

This happens thousands of times across every level of government. Elections software. Tax systems. Welfare applications. Criminal justice databases. Each one costs millions. Each one is reinvented in every county, every state, every agency.

The waste is not billions. It’s hundreds of billions.

But There’s a Larger Injustice

Beyond the waste, there’s something more fundamental at stake: democracy itself.

Government software determines who gets benefits, who goes to prison, who votes, whose immigration case gets approved. These systems shape our lives. They should be transparent. They should be auditable. They should be accountable to the people they serve.

Instead, they’re black boxes. Vendors claim “trade secrets.” Security through obscurity. Bugs hidden. Backdoors possible. Citizens locked out.

This is backwards.

The Solution: Public Code

There’s a proven alternative. It’s called public code—software developed with public money that is made openly available as Free and Open Source Software.

Here’s what that means:

Transparent: The code is public. Anyone can read it, understand how it works, and audit it for problems.
Secure: Thousands of independent security researchers can review the code. Bugs are found faster. Vulnerabilities are fixed faster.
Efficient: Code developed in one state can be used and improved by another. No more reinventing the wheel.
Innovative: Open code attracts developers and creates local tech ecosystems. Jobs and opportunity follow.
Democratic: Government software serves the public. The public owns it.

It Works. We Have Proof.

Italy. France. Germany. Spain. The European Union. They’ve all passed laws requiring public money to fund public code. Not because they’re perfect. But because they understand that government software is too important to be hidden.

And the results? Cost savings. Better security. Faster innovation. Stronger communities.

America should lead, not follow.

Why Now?

The moment is right. The need is clear. The technology exists. The evidence is overwhelming.

But change doesn’t happen on its own. It takes people like you.

This Is Where You Come In

We’re running ballot initiatives in states across America. We’re collecting signatures. We’re organizing communities. We’re making the case that your tax dollars should fund software you own, not software vendors own.

We need you. You don’t have to be a developer. You don’t have to be a policy expert. You just have to care about democracy and transparency and good government.

Here’s what you can do:

Sign the petition. Your signature matters. It shows the people in power that this isn’t a fringe issue—it’s a movement.
Share with your network. Text a friend. Post on social media. Send an email. Most people have never heard about this. They will care once they understand.
Get organized. If you live in a state where we’re running a campaign, volunteer. Help collect signatures. Talk to neighbors. Build the movement where you are.
Donate. Ballot initiatives cost real money. Signature collection, advertising, legal fees. We need resources. Every dollar counts.
Learn and teach. Read about public code. Understand why it matters. Explain it to others. Knowledge is power.

Let’s Build Something Better

This campaign is about more than software policy. It’s about reclaiming democratic control of technology. It’s about saying that when government uses code to make decisions that affect your life, you deserve to know how that code works.

It’s about ownership. Transparency. Accountability.

It’s about democracy.

Join us. Sign the petition. Share the message. Help us build public code in America.

Together, we’ll demand that public money funds public code.

Have questions? Visit our Learn page or contact us.

Welcome to Public Code US