Strengthening Checks and Balances

An accountable government is the foundation of a strong democracy. Checks and balances ensure that lawmakers and officials play by the same rules. Open the Government supports efforts to ensure that oversight efforts are applied equally and fairly, and galvanizes the coalition when there are threats to the mechanisms that ensure checks and balances are functioning.

To preserve checks and balances, OTG:

• Monitors and defends against threats to openness, including threats to the media and whistleblowers and the disregard of openness norms.
• Challenges the dissemination of “weaponized data;” false, misleading, or selective information used to obscure the truth or target the vulnerable.
• Supports congressional efforts to protect oversight investigations, including calls to ensure the preservation of information in the investigation into foreign influence in US elections.

Impacts:

• OTG released Closing Democracy’s Window, a report documenting the growing culture of secrecy in Washington. The report highlighted the impact increasing secrecy has on journalists and advocates.
• OTG led a bipartisan coalition of organizations championing reforms to congressional oversight of the Intelligence Community.