The Center for Effective Government , formerly OMB Watch , was a think tank and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. It was focused on government transparency. Founded in 1983, the organization ceased operations in 2016, folding its work into the Project On Government Oversight .
20-506: The United States Department of Transportation ( USDOT or DOT ) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government . It is headed by the secretary of transportation , who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet . The department's fiscal year 2022–2026 strategic plan states that its mission is "to deliver the world's leading transportation system, serving
40-463: A presidential system ) they are led by a head of government who is also the head of state . The executive departments are the administrative arms of the president of the United States . There are currently 15 executive departments. Each department is headed by a secretary whose title echoes the title of their respective department, with the exception of the Department of Justice , whose head
60-513: A government from members of parliament , U.S. legislators who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve as heads of executive departments must resign from Congress before assuming their new positions. If the emoluments for a new appointee's executive branch position were increased while the appointee was previously serving in Congress (e.g., cost of living adjustments),
80-548: Is broken down as follows: In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . The $ 1.2 trillion act included over $ 660 billion in funding for transportation-related infrastructure projects over the five-year period of fiscal years 2022–2026. In the latest Center for Effective Government analysis of 15 federal agencies which receive the most Freedom of Information Act FOIA requests, published in 2015 (using 2012 and 2013 data,
100-620: Is known as the attorney general . The heads of the executive departments are appointed by the president and take office after confirmation by the United States Senate , and serve at the pleasure of the president . The heads of departments are members of the Cabinet of the United States , an executive organ that normally acts as an advisory body to the president. In the Opinion Clause (Article II, section 2, clause 1) of
120-504: The U.S. Constitution , heads of executive departments are referred to as "principal Officer in each of the executive Departments". The heads of executive departments are included in the line of succession to the president, in the event of a vacancy in the presidency, after the vice president , the speaker of the House , and the president pro tempore of the Senate . They are included in order of their respective department's formation, with
140-605: The Washington Dulles International Airport (DOT had previously agreed to subsidize the Silver Line construction to Reston, Virginia ). President Barack Obama 's budget request for 2010 also included $ 1.83 billion in funding for major transit projects. More than $ 600 million went towards ten new or expanding transit projects. The budget provided additional funding for all of the projects currently receiving Recovery Act funding, except for
160-457: The American people and economy through the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods." In 1965, Najeeb Halaby , the chief of the independent Federal Aviation Agency strongly urged President Lyndon Johnson to set up a cabinet-level Department of Transportation. Halaby proposed merging the responsibilities of the undersecretary of commerce for transportation and
180-848: The DOT awarded $ 742.5 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 11 transit projects. The awardees include light rail projects. Other projects include both a commuter rail extension and a subway project in New York City , and a bus rapid transit system in Springfield, Oregon . The funds subsidize a heavy rail project in northern Virginia , completing the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 's Metro Silver Line to connect Washington, D.C., and
200-676: The Federal Aviation Agency to achieve this goal. While the federal government was granted authority over aviation and railroads through the commerce clause of the Constitution, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration primarily provided funding for state and local projects, without significant influence over road construction and operation. Halaby emphasized the need for improved coordination and expressed frustration at
220-518: The bus rapid transit project. It also continued funding for another 18 transit projects that are either currently under construction or soon will be. Following the same, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 delegated $ 600 million for Infrastructure Investments, referred to as Discretionary Grants. The Department of Transportation was authorized a budget for Fiscal Year 2016 of $ 75.1 billion. The budget authorization
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#1732780854560240-665: The case of HHS's Medicare program, Congress chose to contract with private health insurers because they "already possessed the requisite expertise for administering complex health insurance programs", and because American hospitals preferred to continue dealing with private insurers instead of a new federal bureaucracy. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Center for Effective Government OMB Watch
260-687: The exception of the Secretary of Defense, whose position in the line of succession is based on when the Department of War was formed. To enforce a strong separation of powers , the federal Constitution's Ineligibility Clause expressly prohibits executive branch employees (including heads of executive departments) from simultaneously serving in Congress , and vice versa. Accordingly, in sharp contrast to virtually all other Western democracies (parliamentary systems) where ministers are selected to form
280-521: The general public. In the 20th century, when the federal government began to provide funding and supervision for matters which were historically seen as the domain of state governments (i.e., education , health and welfare services , housing , and transportation ), Congress frequently authorized only funding for grants which were voluntary, in the sense that state or local government agencies could choose to apply for such grants (and accept conditions attached by Congress) or they could decline to apply. In
300-484: The lack of an overall plan. "One looks in vain", he told Johnson, "for a point of responsibility below the President capable of taking an evenhanded, comprehensive, authoritarian approach to the development of transportation policies or even able to assure reasonable coordination and balance among the various transportation programs of the government." Johnson convinced Congress to act and The Department of Transportation
320-497: The most recent years available), the Department of Transportation earned a D by scoring 65 out of a possible 100 points, i.e., did not earn a satisfactory overall grade. United States federal executive departments The United States federal executive departments are the principal units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States . They are analogous to ministries common in parliamentary or semi-presidential systems but (the United States being
340-553: The president must implement a Saxbe fix . As is evident from the chart below, several executive departments (Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation) have disproportionately small employee headcounts in contrast to the size of their budgets. This is because many of their employees merely supervise contracts with private independent contractors or grants (especially categorical grants ) to state or local government agencies who are primarily responsible for providing services directly to
360-475: Was authorized in October 1966 and launched on 1 April 1967, with a mission to ensure that federal funds were effectively used to support the national transportation program. Johnson proclaimed upon signing the act: "Transportation has truly emerged as a significant part of our national life. As a basic force in our society, its progress must be accelerated so that the quality of our life can be improved." In 2012,
380-785: Was formed by Gary D. Bass in 1983 in an effort to increase transparency surrounding the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB Watch changed its name to the Center for Effective Government in January 2013. In March 2016, the organization closed its doors, folding its work into the Project On Government Oversight . The Center for Effective Government concentrated on four main areas: the role of government; information and access; budget, taxation and government performance; and regulatory policy. The organization's goal
400-403: Was to improve access to decision-makers and energize citizen participation. Charity Navigator rated Center for Effective Government with four stars out of four possible for financial performance, accountability and transparency. The Center's reports were used by media outlets, such as Politico , when it quoted CEG's second annual performance analysis of the 15 government agencies' processing
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