The Center for Effective Government, formerly OMB Watch, was a

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

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.

History

OMB Watch was formed by Gary D. Bass in 1983 in an effort to increase transparency surrounding the

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

(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 reason was financial difficulties.

Activities

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 was to improve access to decision-makers and energize citizen participation.

Charity Navigator Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates more than 230,000 charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit's financial stability, adh ...

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 ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...

'', when it quoted CEG's second annual performance analysis of the 15 government agencies' processing the most

Freedom of Information Act (United States) The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA ), , is the United States federal Freedom of information in the United States, freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information a ...

requests and NGO's like Immigration ImpactWendy Feli
Challenging CBP’s Failure to Respond to FOIA Requests
Immigration Impact, 16 March 2015 and in complaints or lawsuits, such as ''Brown et al. v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection'', (132 F.Supp.3d 1170, 2015). Comments by staff were included in newspapers such as the '' Fiscal Times''. CEG gave testimony, submitted comments, statements and questions for the record, to Congress and other governmental bodies.Testimony
2004-2015, Center for Effective Government, retrieved 21 March 2016

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Center for Effective Government's website
(archived)
Center for Effective Government's FedSpending.orgCenter for Effective Government's Right-to-Know Network
Charities based in Washington, D.C. Government watchdog groups in the United States United States Office of Management and Budget Advocacy groups in the United States