Newt’s World – Episode 948: ‘Moneyball’ for Politics
Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: John Hart, CEO of Open the Books
Release Date: February 22, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode explores how the principles of “Moneyball”—using deep data analysis to inform decisions—can revolutionize government accountability and citizen engagement. Host Newt Gingrich speaks with John Hart, CEO of Open the Books, about harnessing artificial intelligence and the world’s largest private database of government spending to bring transparency and real-time insights to every American. The conversation delves into the partnership between Open the Books and Citizen Portal, the potential for AI-powered “surveillance citizenry,” and how pattern recognition in government data might enable a new era of democratic oversight and fiscal responsibility.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Scale and Vision of Open the Books
- Open the Books holds over 10 billion data points, tracking federal, state, and local government spending, salaries, and pensions.
- Mission: “Capture every dime and put it online in as close to real time as possible.” (04:00)
- Collaboration: Open the Books is partnering with Paul Allen’s Citizen Portal to pair massive datasets with AI and create tools for public scrutiny.
Notable Quote
“For the first time, taxpayers can compare what politicians say with what they do and spend—all in one place. This is an amazing achievement.” – Newt Gingrich (03:50)
Transparency & Pattern Recognition as the Cure for Fraud
- Recent fraud scandals (e.g., $1B in MN) are seen as symptoms of too much centralized power and insufficient transparency.
- Hart’s Analogy: Comparing the advent of AI in public scrutiny to Galileo’s telescope:
“In 1609, Galileo... discovered there are these bodies orbiting. That changed civilization. AI enables us to recognize patterns... bring clean data and insights to the electorate, and it will revitalize citizen engagement.” – John Hart (06:00)
The Aqueduct Project
- Named for ancient Roman engineering, this effort aims to deliver “clean data” that empowers and informs.
- "If we can bring clean data and clear insights to the electorate, it will revitalize and rejuvenate citizen engagement like nothing in our lifetime." – John Hart (06:09)
Surveillance Citizenry: Flipping the Script on Power
- Concept: Rather than AI enabling a “surveillance state,” Hart envisions “a surveillance citizenry,” where citizens wield advanced tools to hold government accountable.
- Use Case: At a town hall, a citizen could instantly pull up a politician’s voting history and statements on their device.
“We’re trying to flip the script... give you the tools you need to become a super intelligent citizen.” – John Hart (07:21)
- Tech Demystified: AI requires three things: big data, algorithms, and processing power. “Big data is like enriched uranium; it could be used for peaceful or destructive purposes.” (16:30)
From Google to Real-Time Government Transparency
- Hart helped create USASpending.gov in the 2000s, aiming for all government spending to be available and searchable online.
- Quote: “Transparency is like the oxygen in the public square. We can’t speak and debate if we can’t breathe.” (09:03)
- The vision: Merge first principles of open government with modern technology, and make real-time transparency the new norm.
Real-World Applications and Implications
- AI vs. CBO: Hart critiques the Congressional Budget Office as a “black box,” arguing AI will enable the public, not just bureaucrats, to model budget impacts.
- "We can run circles around CBO in a very short period of time by building this technology..." (17:01)
- Case Example – Education Data:
- Open the Books correlated overhead spending with student achievement in 12,500 school districts—finding a slight negative correlation.
- “No one has looked at 12,500 school districts. As we build these arguments and data sets, it’s going to again create super intelligent citizens.” (21:23)
The AlphaFold Analogy – AI for Public Policy
- Hart likens their AI project (“Aqueduct”) to AlphaFold in biology:
- “AlphaFold did 50,000 years of research in one year. What we’re talking about with Aqueduct... it’s like AlphaFold for public policy.” (19:08)
- By simulating policy scenarios, “it’s like a time machine—simulate trillions of future realities and get a probability curve for the impact.” (29:57)
Ensuring Adoption & Trust
- Coalition Building: Diverse advisory committee to ensure AI-powered transparency tools are politically neutral and trusted.
- “With AI, getting the coalition right is as important as getting the technology right. If people don’t trust the technology, they’re never going to use it.” (32:10)
- Core Principle: “If you care about fraud, there’s no constituency for fraud except the fraudster.” Both left and right should unite for radical transparency. (34:45)
The Future Relationship Between Citizens and Government
- Hart envisions a new “renaissance moment,” where transparency and citizen engagement define the social contract.
- “I see this tool as one of the most important ways to address our debt burden, enable economic growth... You cannot have accountability without visibility.” (36:01)
- Predicts Open the Books will have a global impact on government transparency in the coming years.
“First in the US, but then around the world.” – Newt Gingrich (37:59)
Selected Notable Quotes with Timestamps
- On Surveillance Citizenry:
“We’re trying to flip the script and... give you the tools you need to become a super intelligent citizen.” – John Hart (07:21)
- On Transparency:
“Transparency is like the oxygen in the public square. We can’t speak and debate if we can’t breathe.” – John Hart (09:03)
- AI as Policy Game-Changer:
“It’s like AlphaFold for public policy... looking at all the relationships between the data to enable you to do pattern recognition and pattern prediction.” – John Hart (19:10)
- Optimistic Outlook:
“We’re at the most important renaissance point in hundreds, if not thousands, of years... You cannot have accountability without visibility.” – John Hart (36:01)
- On Coalition and Trust:
“Getting the coalition right is as important as getting the technology right. If people don’t trust the technology, they’re never going to use it.” – John Hart (32:10)
Important Timestamps
- 04:00: Gingrich introduces Open the Books and new partnership for AI-powered transparency
- 05:06–07:06: How fraud occurs and how AI/technology can prevent it
- 07:15–08:21: Concept of “surveillance citizenry” and empowering individuals
- 08:41–11:19: The journey of bringing government transparency online; origins of USASpending.gov
- 16:05–19:10: Moneyball analogy, merging data sets, pattern recognition, AlphaFold comparison
- 20:53–22:51: Data-driven insights: mass transit, school district spending correlations
- 23:20–26:27: Story behind the partnership with Citizen Portal and vision for the future
- 29:50–33:40: Power and promise of AI and quantum computing, building trust and transparency
- 35:35–37:59: Hart’s vision: a renaissance in citizen power, the global potential for impact
Episode Conclusion
Gingrich and Hart close on the note that real-time, citizen-driven analysis of government spending is both feasible and urgent. The technology is here; achieving the social and political will for maximum transparency will define the future of democracy. Listeners are encouraged to follow Open the Books’ developments and anticipate further revolutionary advances in holding government accountable.
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