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Latest Policy Publications
POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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Analysis
IRS Using Tax Dollars for Entertainment and Party Supplies
According to a report, some IRS employees abused agency purchase cards by making a number of ridiculous purchases.
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Analysis
U.S. Airman Denied American-Made Boots
Master Sgt. Steven Adachi's quest for American-made boots instead of Chinese ones has led to a reprimand, retaliation, and a bipartisan congressional inquiry.
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Analysis
Judge Throws Out SEC Resource Transparency Rule
A federal judge has thrown out a rule that required companies to disclose payments made to U.S. and foreign governments for the extraction of oil, natural gas, and minerals.
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Analysis
Despite Panic, Large Contractors Evading Sequestration Hit
Large contractors who once publicly panicked in the face of sequestration and threatened their employees’ jobs are just months later doing relatively well.
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Analysis
Public Unable to Hold Nuclear Subcontractors Accountable
Department of Energy policy shields subcontractors from being held accountable by the public. In order to ensure that tax dollars are not wasted and security not jeopardized, reform is necessary.
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Analysis
Corzine Faces Rare Charge in MF Global Case
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) took an action that regulators have rarely attempted since the 2008 financial crisis: trying to hold a CEO personally accountable for “failure to supervise.”
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Analysis
SIGAR Letter Reveals Nonpayment of Subcontractors
The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released a letter detailing the problem of prime contractors failing to pay subcontractors in Afghanistan.
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Analysis
Electronic Surveillance Law 101
The recent whistleblowing disclosures by Edward Snowden have revealed systemic mass domestic surveillance. The government has justified its programs on the grounds that they are both legal and overseen by the FISA Court. But what do the PATRIOT Act, FISA, and the FISA Court ac...
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Analysis
Op-Ed Argues for More Whistleblowers, Not Fewer
An op-ed in The Baltimore Sun argues that the long list of secret and questionable activities by the government means we need more whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing and inform the public.
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Analysis
DoD Still Wasting Taxpayer Dollars
Are taxpayers’ dollars are being wasted by an inefficient Department of Defense? A recent GAO report details systematic shortcomings in the process by which the DoD crafts its workforce.
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Analysis
Natural Resource Transparency Must Include Local Governments
Groups that represent the interests of citizens, investors, unions, and others are championing greater openness from local governments as the United States implements the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
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Analysis
New Details Emerge in Boeing Spare Parts Overbilling
A recent Pentagon Inspector General report found that Boeing overcharged the military for spare parts—again.