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Government watchdogs over-emphasize waste but under-stress mission accomplishment, think tank says

Those involved with oversight of the executive branch should do more than simply investigate waste, fraud and abuse, one of the most prominent "good government" think tanks has concluded.

In a report released Tuesday, the Bipartisan Policy Center examined how executive branch agencies review their own operations and how Congress puts fresh eyes on the bureaucracy, analyzed the effectiveness of current practices, and offered recommendations to improve processes.


The report was produced by a collection of former federal officials assembled last fall to offer recommendations on improving the practices of both internal and external oversight.

The report is a follow-up from a study last year hailing the success of the inspector general's pursuit of uncovering abuse and fraud. The new report concludes that while such investigations are a necessary part of executive branch oversight, government watchdogs should also seek to broaden their focus to account for the performance of the agencies.

"While the compliance aspect of these investigative activities has surely been beneficial, the fact remains that most of the government is spending too much time complying with reporting requirements and not enough time accomplishing their missions," the new report concludes. "By shifting the emphasis of oversight to improved performance rather than compliance for compliance's sake, there may be meaningful program improvements that benefit both the federal government and the public."

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The report's recommendations include bodies that provide external oversight increasing their focus on an agency's performance goals and more collaboration among both internal and external oversight bodies, in general.

"Effective oversight is multidimensional and entails more than just a compliance component," said Dan Blair, a senior counselor at BPC and former deputy director of the Office of Personnel Management. "It requires a framework that evaluates risk and assesses agency and program performance."

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Congress Bill Spotlight: BAD DOGE Act

U.S. President Donald Trump listens as White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, speaks next to a Tesla Cyber Truck and a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Getty Images, Andrew Harnik

Congress Bill Spotlight: BAD DOGE Act

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about, but that often don't get the right news coverage.

Though it’s been cutting left and right, could DOGE itself be cut next?

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Racing Against Memory Loss: The Urgent Need to Address Dementia Disparities
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Racing Against Memory Loss: The Urgent Need to Address Dementia Disparities

Newly appointed Secretary for Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has his work cut out regarding brain health among elderly Americans. A study published in Nature Journal earlier this year estimates that the number of new dementia cases in people 65 years and older in the U.S. will double over the next four decades, from about 514,000 in 2020 to about 1 million in 2060. The total number of people currently living with Alzheimer’s dementia is close to 7 million.

The same study also highlights that Black Americans are twice as likely to develop dementia later in life, compared to White Americans, and Latinos are one and a half more likely. These results underscore the urgent need for policies promoting healthy aging and addressing health inequities' root causes, which includes access to affordable and nutritious foods. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda features chronic diseases and improved lifestyles. Whether everyone will benefit equally or not, depends on his political will to address systemic inequalities.

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Did We Learn or Not? Why There Can Be No Going Back on COVID Lessons
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Did We Learn or Not? Why There Can Be No Going Back on COVID Lessons

Five years ago this month, COVID-19 changed the world. The first pandemic in a century altered how Americans saw themselves, each other, work, healthcare, relationships, government, mortality, and media. It tangled everyone across the globe in webs of fear, conflict, grief, disbelief, estrangement, and gratitude.

It prompted a parallel pandemic of disinformation that has only deepened in the years since and crescendoed in the last few months. It is foolish to ignore the impact of these past five years on every person in this country and the world, particularly with current policies and practices that ignore this distinct past.

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Holding Trump Accountable: He’s NOT the Emperor
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Photo by Megan Watson on Unsplash

Holding Trump Accountable: He’s NOT the Emperor

Publishers' Notes:: Our challenge as a publication, dedicated to keeping our readers informed so we can repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives, is not to be overly reactive or partisan. At the same time, we must not ignore the dangers of the administration's degrading, hostile, and accusatory language and actions when they occur. We invite you to read this column outlining our editorial position covering the Trump administration by clickingHERE.

Not every column represents the editorial focus of the Fulcrum. However, consistent with our mission, the column below represents a commitment to sharing many perspectives to widen our readers' viewpoints.

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