Well Advised? How Congress Directs Program Evaluation and Oversight

• In Event: Poster Session: Legislative Studies

Abstract

Elected officials rely on oversight offices (e.g., Government Accountability Office, Offices of the Inspector General, or Congressional Research Service) to produce information that informs policy decisions and oversight hearings. These offices are often portrayed as quasi-independent and producers of neutral, expert-based information that flows one way to policymakers. However, the information these oversight offices source does not always fit with the political goals of policymakers.

Drawing on the relationship between Congress and the Government Accountably Office, I investigate how oversight of federal program implementation and federal agencies by “neutral” offices is subject to political influence. While oversight offices like the GAO are tasked with uncovering problems with federal program implementation, elected officials care more about some problems than others. I argue that partisan differences influence the types of implementation problems members of Congress direct oversight offices to investigate. Conservatives, compared to more liberal members, are concerned with waste more than access to programs. As such, we should expect them to request audits of program spending whereas liberals should be more likely to request inspections related program access. Although the GAO has an incentive to be responsive to guarantee their continued political survival, the office cannot fulfill all requests given limited resources. Using their discretion, the GAO should be more responsive to members of the party with greater political control.

GAO’s responsiveness will be tested using an original dataset of requests for audits and investigations made by members of Congress. GAO is the “congressional watchdog,” but political influence can undermine its lauded neutral and expert investigations and take GAO’s attention away from other issues because of limited resources.

Author

• Cody Drolc, University of Missouri