A new proposed tool from the Sunlight Foundation could be used to accomplish President Obama's goal of increasing government transparency. According to the Sunlight Foundation, the executive branch could create a website aggregating the disclosure of meetings between government officials and lobbyists. They  have put forth designs for a system of online lobbying reporting, including the disclosure forms and methods of aggregating the data. This laudable process would create a system for real time reporting. The information would detail the names of the agency, the employees that attended the meeting, the lobbyists the government official met with and any clients the lobbyist represents. The site would allow the public to track and sort the meetings by lobbyist, subject matter, date, agency and official. Being able to track who is paying for lobbying, and what the meetings involve would be a valuable resource for anyone trying to analyze government decision making and influence. According to their press release, "Sunlight's proposed disclosure system would give Americans unprecedented access to monitor and analyze real time information about lobbying."

Sunlight is also calling for the expansion of the legal definition of a lobbyist to include anyone that is paid to conduct direct issue advocacy. The law currently only requires individuals who spend more than 20 percent of their time lobbying for a client, and who also make more than two contacts with executive branch or congressional officials to register to lobby. For more on the Sunlight Foundation's proposal, click here.

More evidence was released today detailing why lobbyist disclosure is so important. Professors at the University of Kansas conducted a study finding that "a one-time tax break allowed several multinational corporations to receive a 22,000 percent return on lobbying expenditures."

"But the data alarm some watchdog groups that worry ordinary Americans who cannot afford representation by a well paid lobbyist will lose out in debates with companies and interest groups who can."