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Accountability and Government Oversight

Mercatus Center research seeks to understand the consequences – both intended and unintended – of public sector management processes, such as funding and management decisions by state and federal governments, and improve the state of knowledge to which these processes refer, thereby fostering solutions that promote a freer, more prosperous, and civil society.  Research focus includes: tax and fiscal policy, government accountability, the contracting process, government reform, and congressional oversight.

Related Links:

Annual Performance Report Scorecard

Accountable Legislation Test

Outcome Based Scrutiny

 

Recent Publications

9th Annual Performance Report Scorecard Scorecard Maurice McTigue, Jerry Ellig, Henry Wray May 13, 2008 This study evaluates and ranks the 24 largest federal agencies under the Chief Financial Officers Act on the quality of disclosure they provide in their fiscal year 2007 performance and accountability reports.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Evaluation - FY 2007 Scorecard May 13, 2008 Detailed Scorecard evaluation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's fiscal 2007 performance and accountability report.

Department of State Evaluation - FY 2007 Scorecard May 13, 2008 Detailed Scorecard evaluation of the Department of State's fiscal 2007 performance and accountability report.

Mercatus on Policy - Ending Translucent Government: Putting Government Data Online Mercatus On Policy Jerry Brito April 28, 2008 Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Jerry Brito examines government transparency regulation and the need for greater access to public information online.

The Trillion-Dollar War News Articles and Op-Eds Veronique de Rugy April 15, 2008 This article by Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow Veronique de Rugy appeared as the May 2008 cover story in Reason. The article addresses the current spending levels and process used to fund the War on Terror.

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Upcoming Events

2008 Capital Campus Texas Start: July 9, 2008 10:30 AM The Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Texas Public Policy Foundation will co-host a retreat in San Antonio that will provide legislative staffers with an academic perspective on today's pressing policy issues.

Delivering the Goods: Lessons learned in disaster response Start: May 22, 2008 12:00 PM As the 1000-day anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, many wonder exactly when the Gulf Coast will be back to normal, and why the recovery process has moved so slowly. With hurricane season 2008 quickly approaching, it's a good time to look at the lessons learned from the most expensive natural disaster in history. The Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a discussion on the effective disaster response from the public and private sectors.

One If By Land, Two If By Air: America’s Transportation Infrastructure Start: May 13, 2008 12:00 PM America's current infrastructure is beginning to show its age and new policies need to be implemented to fix the growing problems. Both the President and Congress have acknowledged that there are problems with our current aviation infrastructure and are looking for ways to lessen the costs associated with flight delays while maintaining the industry's impeccable safety record. In addition, the Minnesota bridge collapse brought America's poorly kept up roadway system to the nation's attention.

9th Annual Performance Report Scorecard Start: May 13, 2008 09:30 AM The Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a panel discussion to release our Annual Performance Report Scorecard. The Scorecard sheds light on which of the 24 largest federal agencies are supplying vital information that citizens and their elected leaders need to make informed funding and policy decisions.

Recent Events

Intellectual Property: Domestic and International Perspectives Start: April 16, 2008 12:00 PM To address some areas of recent concern, the Mercatus Center will host a two-day program on current intellectual property issues including international IP and the patent system.

The Games Economists Play: Interactive Public Policy Start: March 19, 2008 08:00 AM Dr. Antony Davies of Duquesne University will conduct an interactive “economic experiment” to engage participants in understanding the interconnectedness of citizens, public policy, and the economy.   This particular experiment will allow participants to observe how public services such as health care and education affect the decisions that constituents make about their lives and community.

A Balancing Act: Examining U.S. Budget Issues Start: March 18, 2008 12:00 PM To address several considerations that commonly arise in this debate the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a three-day program to explore an academic perspective on budgetary issues. Scott Pattison of the National Association of State Budget Officers will explain state budgetary policies, Roy Meyers will analyze the impact a variety of reforms could have on the federal budget process, and Veronique de Rugy will speak on budget deficits.

E-Transparency: Google for Government Start: February 28, 2008 12:00 PM In this course, Jerry Brito, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will present his research on how online resources are an important aspect of the process of achieving government transparency.  Mr. Brito will focus the benefits of and tools for putting data online in structured and searchable formats.

Transparency.com: The Use of Online Resources Start: February 12, 2008 12:00 PM The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is pleased to present a panel discussion on the use of online resources in improving government transparency.

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Scholars

 Veronique de Rugy, Senior Research Fellow

 Jerry Ellig, Senior Research Fellow

 Maurice McTigue, Vice President, Director of the Government Accountability Project, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar

 Eileen Norcross, Senior Research Fellow

 Henry Wray, Visiting Fellow