How can we hold governments accountable

When accountability loops back through the system, it’s not really public

Calls for government accountability often point back to internal policies, ethics offices, or review committees, systems created by the very institutions they're meant to oversee. But structural accountability doesn’t come from intent. It comes from infrastructure the public can access, trust, and verify for itself. 200 Brady Street isn’t a watchdog. It’s the civic record those watchdogs have always needed, contributor governed, redaction enforced, and auditable from the outside in.

How Can We Hold Governments More Accountable?

The Problem with “Accountability Advice”

Most guides to holding government accountable point back to the system itself, suggesting oversight committees, question periods, access to information requests, or internal ombudsmen. But these are mechanisms designed and approved by the very institutions they’re meant to constrain. They may be useful, but they’re not independent. And they’re rarely auditable.

What Most Platforms Miss

Even civic tech platforms intended to increase transparency often optimize for participation, not oversight. They build channels for input, not infrastructure for audit. Public dashboards show activity, not structure. The result? Visibility without clarity, and engagement without accountability. See how 200 Brady Street takes a different approach.

What a Structural Answer Looks Like

Accountability means more than access. It requires:

Contributor governed data, not institutional summaries
Redaction and privacy by default, not optional policies
Public facing records that don’t depend on city approval
Milestone gated deployment that funders can’t override

This is why 200 Brady Street isn’t a civic app. It’s a civic audit infrastructure.

What 200 Brady Street Offers

We don’t replace existing accountability tools, we expose what they overlook. The platform provides:

A public enforcement ledger, searchable, governed, and contributor first
Ticket submission with redaction logic and trust tiering
Metadata scaffolded FOI records and visibility across jurisdictions
Contributor protections embedded into platform design (See governance overview)

This is structure, not sentiment. And it’s built to serve those trying to make government more visible, not more efficient.

Where to Learn More

Or reach out at invest@200bradystreet.com if you’re part of a clinic, coalition, or watchdog group looking to build real visibility into enforcement systems.