WhoRunsGov has Issues – and We Need More of Them.

Readers sometimes know exactly who they are looking for when they come to WhoRunsGov. Other times, they arrive on the site with questions about who holds a title, is on a Congressional committee, runs a certain office or has jurisdiction over and knowledge about a particular policy area.

Our site designers made it simple to find people by name (note the giant blue search box to the right), but the site was also organized with the latter queries in mind. What is the point of having thousands of bios if they aren’t organized and easily accessible? Roll over the tabs in our nav bar to search government decision-makers by their office, committee, party, state, title, last name or area of expertise.

Adding details about the issues on which a lawmaker or government official is focused is one of the easiest and most useful ways to add content to WhoRunsGov. Specific policy issues define the careers of politicians and government officials in Washington. This is why almost all of our profiles contain an “Issues” tab.

If a lawmaker gains traction on a specific issue, it’s easy to use articles, legislative text or press releases to add that information to a person’s Issues section. If the matter at hand becomes a defining issue, it may even warrant a mention under the “Why He/She Matters” tab.

Readers who work directly in politics or around it have told us they find our 18 issues pages particularly helpful. For example, if you’re in public affairs for a health-care association and want to find out where to advocate for your members, our Health Care Issues page is a good starting point. It contains profiles of Members of Congress who play big roles in the health-care debate through their committees, sponsored legislation, or who drum up attention for their positions. You also find the Capitol Hill aides who work on the committees or oversee health care for those Members, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House and other executive departments with a stake in the debate. Also included are influential health-care lobbyists and campaign strategists. We’re trying to make your jobs easier.

Our Transportation and Energy issue pages include news from The Washington Post and around the web as well as profiles, and we’re moving in that direction for all of our Issues pages.

Information about issues on which a policymaker is focused helps us keep the issue pages fresh and current. I welcome your questions about adding a particular issue or how to use the wiki. Email me with them at [email protected].