{{Short description|American former think tank}} The '''Center for Effective Government''', formerly '''OMB Watch''', was a think tank and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hess|first1=Hannah|title=Think tank focused on government transparency is closing|url=http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060033961|access-date=14 June 2016|publisher=Environment & Energy News|date=March 14, 2016}}</ref> It was focused on government transparency. Founded in 1983, the organization ceased operations in 2016, folding its work into the Project On Government Oversight.<ref>{{cite news|title=Center for Effective Government Closes Doors|url=http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/center-for-effective-government-closes-doors|access-date=14 June 2016|publisher=Philanthropy News Digest|date=March 21, 2016}}</ref>
==History== OMB Watch 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 reason was financial difficulties.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schuman |first1=Daniel |author-link1=Daniel Schuman |title=Open-Government Nonprofits Are Dying Off Just When They’re Needed Most |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/open-government-nonprofits-are-dying-off-just-when-needed-most |work=The Bulwark |date=16 December 2024}}</ref>
==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.<ref>[http://www.foreffectivegov.org/about-us Center for Effective Government - About Us]</ref> The organization's goal 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.<ref>[http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10571 Charity Navigator Rating - Center for Effective Government]</ref>
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 the most Freedom of Information Act (United States) requests<ref>Josh Gerstein [https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/03/group-gives-state-department-f-on-foia-processing-203780#ixzz43YOGJhYk Group gives State Department 'F' on FOIA processing] 10 March 2015</ref> and NGO's like Immigration Impact<ref name=feliz>Wendy Feliz [http://immigrationimpact.com/2015/03/16/challenging-cbps-failure-to-respond-to-foia-requests/ Challenging CBP’s Failure to Respond to FOIA Requests] Immigration Impact, 16 March 2015</ref> and in complaints or lawsuits, such as ''Brown et al. v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection'', (132 F.Supp.3d 1170, 2015).<ref name=feliz/>
Comments by staff were included in newspapers such as the ''Fiscal Times''.<ref>David Dayen [http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2015/08/28/How-Government-Rolling-Over-Big-Banks-Again How the Government Is Rolling Over for Big Banks Again.] The Fiscal Times, 28 August 2015</ref><ref>Chris Isidore [https://web.archive.org/web/20130627223155/http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/10/news/economy/outsourced-federal-government/index.html Uncle Sam's outsourcing tab: $517 billion] CNNMoney 10 June 2013</ref>
CEG gave testimony, submitted comments, statements and questions for the record, to Congress and other governmental bodies.<ref>[http://www.foreffectivegov.org/testimony/ Testimony] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313194558/http://www.foreffectivegov.org/testimony/ |date=March 13, 2016 }} 2004-2015, Center for Effective Government, retrieved 21 March 2016</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.foreffectivegov.org Center for Effective Government's website] (archived) *[http://www.fedspending.org Center for Effective Government's FedSpending.org] *[http://www.rtknet.org Center for Effective Government's Right-to-Know Network]
Category:Charities based in Washington, D.C. Category:Government watchdog groups in the United States Category:United States Office of Management and Budget Category:Advocacy groups in the United States