Fighting for a government that serves the people.

We investigate corruption and abuse of power in the federal government. And we promote commonsense reforms that strengthen our democracy and build a more equitable, accountable government.

Our Mission and Values

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Exposing problems.

We investigate corruption and abuse of power in our government, exposing systemic problems that endanger our democracy.

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Developing solutions.

We craft commonsense policy reforms to tackle systemic corruption and abuse of power, protect constitutional rights, and ensure the government works for all people.

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Advocating for change.

We push policymakers to enact reforms that will strengthen public trust in government. We take our policy proposals straight to those in power, and we empower our supporters to lobby their members of Congress for change.

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Building a healthy democracy.

We focus on five core issue areas to ensure our government operates free from corruption and abuse of power, protects our constitutional rights, and addresses injustices.

Accountability

The federal government must answer to the people it serves.

A healthy democracy relies on a strong accountability system to ensure the government is working for everyone. We’re pushing to make it easier and safer to expose wrongdoing in the federal government.

Collage of the U.S. Capitol building, the Constitution, and people going about their day-to-day lives

Checks & Balances

Balance of power in our government must be restored.

Our democratic system was designed to ensure no single branch becomes too powerful. We’re working for reforms to rebalance power, so each branch can act as an effective check on the others.

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Civil & Human Rights

The government must do a better job protecting our constitutional rights.

Federal law enforcement can too easily violate our civil and human rights without consequence. We’re advocating for systemic changes that would better protect us from law enforcement abuses.

Collage of U.S. Capitol Police, Customs and Border Protection officials, and the Constitution

Corruption & Abuse of Power

Federal law must better ensure officials are serving the public.

It should be harder for government officials to abuse their power and act corruptly. We’re working to ensure our leaders are held to the highest standards and can earn the people’s trust.

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National Security

The Pentagon must start putting people over profit.

Too often, Pentagon strategy is influenced by corporations looking to profit from defense contracts. We’re working toward a Pentagon budget that prioritizes what will truly keep us safe.

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Making an impact.

At POGO, we work strategically to engage policymakers on efforts to reduce corruption and abuses of power in our government and to ensure leaders are protecting our rights.

1
Exposed problems in family military housing.

2
Successfully pushed DOJ to enact measures to report on deaths in custody.

3
Trained nearly 400 congressional staff to improve oversight last year.

Take Action

Become a member of POGO’s watchdog community and make your voice heard. Demand that policymakers enact change now on key government corruption issues.

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