Welcome to the Data Center! We are pleased to offer direct access to many of the datasets we use in our analysis. Over the years, we have built datasets in a variety of areas of federal spending, with earmarks being one of the most well-known.  Our hope is to make our data as usable to other organizations, advocates, government officials, and the public as possible.

On our open data platform, you can sort, filter, create maps and charts, and even download the dataset.

Because all of the data we offer is public information, we ask that all users agree to these basic terms of use, that:

• information provided by TCS in whatever form is meant for research, educational, or journalistic purposes only;
• TCS Data shall not be used for commercial purposes, to solicit contributions, or sold to third-parties;
• and that appropriate credit will be given to TCS for all reports, articles, mashups, or other use of our data, including a link back to our website for all items published on the web.

By publishing the datasets on our open data platform, we are trying to make your access of the data as user-friendly as possible.

If you create a custom map or visualization, you can grab HTML language so it can be embedded in your own site.

You can search the entire data catalog using keywords to find relevant datasets, including general information such as the title and description of our datasets, and even row-, column- and cell-level data. You can also browse categories and topics in the data catalog and benefit from the comments and ratings other users have left, and leave your own comments and ratings.

For the more technically savvy data consumers there is advanced filtering and sorting, or roll-ups and group-by operations. And all of our data can be exported in a variety of formats, including CSV, JSON, PDF, RDF, RSS, XLS, XLSX, or XML.

And of course, we have gone through all of these data sets with a fine tooth comb, and you can read our connected analysis to find what we think is the most useful and relevant data in each data set.

Coal Data

Over the years the coal industry has received billions in federal subsidies, in a variety of forms including direct grants, loan guarantees, tax free bonds, and tax deductions. The following database is an ongoing project to identify specific recipients of these federally-backed subsidies. We're continuing to develop this database, and right now it lists several Department of Energy subsidies provided for coal-fired power plants that use applicable clean coal technologies dating from 1985 to present day. To view the Coal dataset page click here.

Earmark Data

Defense Asset Data

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is the largest federal agency in the United States, consuming more than half of discretionary spending in the U.S. budget. DOD purchases more than $1 billion of goods and services every day, accounting for two-thirds of all government purchases. And it employs some 3 million people globally, more than the world’s largest corporation. To view the Defense Assets dataset page, click here.

MTB Data

The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) is a compendium of more than two thousand tariff waivers which reduce the fees importers pay for a wide range of imported products – from snow globes to sports bras, from capers to dimethyl carbonate polymer with 1,6-hexanediol and 2-oxepanone. Each Congress crafts the bill out of the limelight with only a few (thousand) vested interests looking on. This year, it’s become a hot topic because of the existing moratorium on earmarks and a debate around whether the miscellaneous tariff bill is an earmark bill. To view the MTB dataset page click here.

Sandy Supplemental Data

This database lists of all the spending in the various Sandy supplemental proposals and compares them with the administration’s original request. Too often, lawmakers treat emergency spending as a honey pot for all their pet projects and initiatives. Out of one side of their mouth, lawmakers are saying that we need to deal with the across-the-board cuts that are sequestration and to reduce spending. Out of the other side of their mouth, they are calling a whole litany of regular spending items “emergency” to evade budget caps. To view the Sandy Supplemental dataset page, click here.

In the coming months TCS will continue to build out our public data infrastructure to better connect the public with the tools and information necessary to ensure government accountability. Check back soon for new data sets, and analysis.

If you have any questions or feedback about the data presented here or how to use the different features, please feel free to contact us. Enjoy!