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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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Report
Getting Byrned by Justice: Favoritism in the Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Grant Program
In awarding federal grants, it is standard practice for a federal agency to require that a competitive grant proposal go through a peer review process in order to evaluate the merit of the application. POGO has found that multiple FY2007 Byrne Discretionary Grants appear to ha...
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Report
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex: Livermore Homes and Plutonium Make Bad Neighbors
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore Lab), a nuclear weapons facility located in the greater metropolis of San Francisco, CA, poses the most significant security threat of any such facility in the U.S. Roughly seven million people live within a 50 mile radius of t...
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ReportPandemic Flu: Lack of Leadership and Disclosure Plague Vaccine Program
The U.S. is in a race to prepare for the mass production of a vaccine before the next influenza pandemic strikes. In a pandemic, there could be deaths in the hundreds of thousands in the U.S. and in the tens of millions worldwide. A vaccine will limit the harm caused by the ...
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Report
Inspectors General: Many Lack Essential Tools for Independence
As the 30th anniversary of the law creating the Inspector General system approaches, POGO has seized the moment to closely examine how effective this critical component of our government actually functions. POGO distributed a questionnaire to all 64 statutory IGs, receiving re...
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Report
Rescue At Risk: Crucial Helicopter Requirement Weakened
A crucial weapons system requirement for the Air Force's second highest procurement priority, a helicopter replacement program (dubbed CSAR-X) for its combat search and rescue mission, was significantly and inappropriately weakened by Air Force program officials to allow Boein...
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Report
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex: Y-12 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory at High Risk
Two Department of Energy nuclear weapons facilities in Eastern Tennessee are at high risk, and can not meet the government's security standards. If a terrorist attacks the Y-12 National Security Complex or the Oak Ridge National Labs, and detonates an improvised nuclear device...
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Report
Federal Contracting: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina
In August 2005, a tropical storm gathered strength and inched its way toward the United States. After reaching a nearly unprecedented level of strength, the now-Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, destroying houses, businesses, and critical infrastructure. In ...
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Report
Preying On The Taxpayer: The F-22A Raptor
In June, the Senate authorized the government to purchase 20 F-22A Raptor fighter jets each year for 2008, 2009, and 2010 using a multiyear procurement (MYP) strategy. If Lockheed, the aircraft's manufacturer is able to secure MYP status, it would essentially lock the governm...
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Report
The Politics of Contracting: Bajagua’s No-Bid Deal
There is no reason for the U.S. government to avoid competition for ownership and operation of wastewater treatment plants, whether they are located in the U.S.or in other countries. However, Bajagua Project, LLC, has effectively utilized the standard avenues of influence – c...
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Report
A Matter of Trust: How The Revolving Door Undermines Public Confidence In Government - And What To Do About It
A Matter of Trust: How The Revolving Door Undermines Public Confidence In Government - And What To Do About It, October 1, 2005. After exposing the revolving doors at the top 20 federal contractors in POGO’s 2004 report The Politics of Contracting, POGO assisted in forming the...
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Report
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex: Homeland Security Opportunities
As internal tests and analyses have shown, the Department of Energy cannot adequately protect America's voluminous stockpile of weapons grade nuclear material, which is housed at 13 locations throughout the country. In the post-9/11 era, we know that suicidal terrorists are ca...
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Report
Homeland and National Security Whistleblower Protections: The Unfinished Agenda
The 9/11 attacks spawned a movement of national security whistleblowers who came forward to expose the weaknesses in America’s defenses. Despite their patriotic motivations, many government security professionals have been systematically ignored and targeted by bureaucrats who...