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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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AnalysisAudit Finds Pentagon Waived Requirement to Repay Taxpayers $16 Billion to Advance Foreign Military Sales
A government watchdog found the Pentagon often gives foreign governments purchasing U.S. weapon systems a pass on requirements to repay taxpayers for some of the costs they invested in research and development for those systems.
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AnalysisMeet the Oil-Friendly Federal Panel that Could Give Drillers a Sweetheart Deal
The oil, gas and mining industry has six voting seats out of 20 on the panel, known as the Royalty Policy Committee, and they predictably advocate for paying the public less. But industry’s voice on the committee is supposed to be balanced with perspectives from state and trib...
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AnalysisGovernment Prison Contracts Gamble with Taxpayer Dollars
The Justice Department is implementing President Trump’s promise to bring back private prison contracts, ignoring its own Inspector General’s recommendations.
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AnalysisBoom Service? Navy Prefers to Pass For Now
Service wants to spend $25 billion before bomb tests to confirm whether its new carrier can survive such shocks
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AnalysisI See Dead People . . . Cashing Federal Checks; Legislation Targets Payments Made in Error
Would you believe that some federal agencies are still mistakenly paying people long after they are dead? Fortunately, new bipartisan legislation in the Senate takes steps to tackle this problem.
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AnalysisHow an Influential Committee can Make Energy Royalties Great Again
An influential committee meeting this week has the power to fix that system by implementing important reforms to the way the public is compensated for resources extracted from public land.
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AnalysisEPA Drags Its Feet with Records Requests Aimed at Scott Pruitt’s Office
The Environmental Protection Agency is especially slow at processing Freedom of Information Act requests for records in the Administrator’s office compared to the rest of the agency.
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AnalysisUnworthy Tribute: FEMA Contract Raises Disaster Preparedness Concerns
The failure of a small, inexperienced company to deliver meals to Puerto Rico disaster survivors highlights the need for improved federal contracting.
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AnalysisEnforcement of Environmental Laws Drops Under Trump Administration
Budget, staffing, and leadership decisions have resulted in fewer investigations and prosecutions of polluters.
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AnalysisBombers Away! (Oops: And Back Again…)
The Air Force’s love affair with its tarnished silver bullet
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AnalysisWatchdogs Need to Stop Using Jargon and Weasel Words to Obscure Misconduct
Degrading Women in Your Office is More than Just Impolite
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AnalysisThe President v. The Courts
Past U.S. presidents of both parties have threatened to undermine the authority of the third branch. Do President Trump’s attacks cross a red line?