Gov Watch

Overview

I created GovWatch during a time when government spending efficiency became a national conversation. With Elon Musk leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and highlighting billions in potential waste, I realized most Americans had no easy way to see where their tax dollars actually go.

The Challenge

Government contract data exists but it's buried in dense PDFs, obscure websites, and bureaucratic language. I wanted to make this information accessible to everyone—journalists, researchers, and everyday citizens—without requiring specialized knowledge of government procurement.

My Approach

I built a system that automatically collects defense.gov contract announcements and transforms them into searchable data. The key innovation is using AI to let people ask questions in plain English like "How much did we spend on F-35 jets last year?" and get meaningful answers.

The Solution

GovWatch combines a clean, intuitive interface with powerful AI search capabilities. Behind the scenes, it uses vector embeddings to understand both the user's question and the content of thousands of government contracts, matching them semantically rather than just by keywords.

Technologies Used

Next.js

FastAPI

Python

Gemini API

Pinecone

Vercel

Outcomes

The platform has already helped identify interesting patterns in defense spending and has been used by independent researchers looking into government efficiency. As the national conversation around government waste continues, GovWatch provides a factual foundation for these important discussions.