Government Publications-United States Federal Government

Another way to form an opinion on government reliability is to see what is being written and reported by government watchdog groups.  Many organizations have been formed out of the desire of citizens to keep an eye on government policy, spending, and integrity. 

(Sites courtesy of University of Washington State University Evaluating Government Information LibGuide) 

• Union of Concerned Scientists

  "Citizens and scientists for environmental solutions."
• GovTrack.us

  "Comprehensive legislative tracking for everyday citizens"
• Center for Budget and Policy Priorities

  Research and analysis on budget and tax policies, and needs of low-income families and individuals
• Citizens Against Government Waste

  "Eliminate waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in the federal government."
• OpenTheGovernment.org

  "Americans for less secrecy, more democracy."
• Bill of Rights Defense Committee

  Grassroots movement to protect rights and liberties granted in the Constitution
• Center for Democracy and Technology

  "Keeping the Internet open, innovative, free."
• POGO Project on Government Oversight

  "Exposing corruption, exploring solutions"
• Center for Public Integrity

  "Investigative journalism in the public interest"
• Common Cause

  "Holding Power Accountable"; "...the original citizens’ lobby, founded in 1970..., and still battling for open, honest and accountable government in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states."
• FactCheck.org

  Consumer advocate for voters, monitoring factual accuracy of campaign verbage and text
• Sunlight Foundation

  "Transparency in Government"
• Government Accountability Project

  "Promote corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech, and empowering citizen activists."
• ClearSpending.org

  Keeps track of the government site USAspending.gov by taking data from other federal reporting systems and comparing it with just the grants data (about 46% of spending) found in USASpending.gov across three categories: Consistency, Completeness and Timeliness.
• Vital Statistics on Congress

  A joint effort by American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institute in collaboration with the Campaign Finance Institute, presenting impartial data on Congress and its members.
• National Institute on Money in State Politics

  The Institute operates the web site Follow the Money.org, a "free, nonpartisan, verifiable archive of contributions to political campaigns in all 50 states."

• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

  An independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes.
• USAspending.gov

  As required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (Transparency Act), the site provides the public with information about how their tax dollars are spent.
• FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)

  The center's best-known job is to evaluate new drugs before they can be sold. The center's evaluation not only prevents quackery, but also provides doctors and patients the information they need to use medicines wisely. CDER ensures that drugs, both brand-name and generic, work correctly and that their health benefits outweigh their known risks.
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

  Created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974 to enable the nation to safely use radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while ensuring that people and the environment are protected. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection and enforcement of its requirements
• Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)

  A one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services. Consumers can get information in four ways: 1) call 1-800-FED-INFO, 2) through printed publications, 3) online through various social media channels, and 4) FCIC's family of websites.
• Federal Election Commission

  Monitors election finances. The Campaign Finance Disclosure Portal provides campaign finance data complete with navigation maps, charts, and search tools and methods to download data sets for analysis.

   

  Courtesy of Washington State University Library Government Evaluation LibGuide