Secrets, Surveillance, and Scandals: The War on Terror’s Unending Impact on Americans’ Private Lives
Twenty years into the war on terror, we are still unraveling the mass surveillance enacted at its start. This deep dive shows how secret surveillance defied the rule of law and undermined democracy—and how civil rights advocates steadily fought back.
Read
POGO Series & Collections
Explore our serialized collections of themes, features, investigations, and ongoing stories.
View All-
BrowseState Secrecy
As part of the commemoration of 9/11, this series looks at how government secrecy imperils the democratic process and harms sound policy-making.
-
BrowseThe Bunker
Military intelligence for the rest of us, from POGO's Mark Thompson, every Wednesday.
-
BrowseCorrupted: The COVID-19 Response
Corrupted: The COVID-19 Response is a weekly newsletter diving into corruption in the time of coronavirus.
-
BrowseWatching the Watchdogs
Inspectors General serve as independent watchdogs within federal agencies and are essential to a well-functioning federal government.
-
BrowseCOVID-19 and the Constitution
Times of crisis require extraordinary actions. But in these moments, the risk that our constitutional rights and civil liberties are eroded increases as well.
-
BrowseYour Financial Security On the Line
A federal watchdog you’ve probably never heard of is supposed to be protecting your financial security. But in key respects it’s been doing a feeble job.
-
BrowseImmigration
An effective immigration enforcement strategy requires respect for constitutional rights and a commitment to exercise our laws in a fair and equitable manner.
-
BrowseBlowing the Whistle
Whistleblowers are our nation's first line of defense against waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.
-
BrowsePrivacy & Surveillance
The revolution in digital technology has upended our society in many ways. Chief among these is that it has forced Americans to scramble to preserve the foundational balance of power between government and the people.
-
BrowseImpeachment: Checking the Executive
Impeachment is the legislative branch’s ultimate check on the executive. But it is rarely used and has few rules to govern it.
-
BrowseF-35: The Most Expensive Weapons Program in History
The F-35 program serves as the ideal case study to understand the Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex. The program encapsulates all the problems with the business of purchasing weapons in the United States.
-
BrowseThe Military-Industrial Circus
The Military-Industrial Circus is a regular column by Pulitzer-prize winning National Security Analyst Mark Thompson for CDI at POGO.
-
BrowseDrilling Down
Drilling Down is an investigative series scrutinizing the government's oversight of offshore drilling.
-
BrowseBefore the Storm
Relief efforts should be prepared before natural disasters occur. A collection of POGO's work on how the government can more effectively plan for natural disasters.
-
BrowsePentagon Labyrinth
The Pentagon Labyrinth, a podcast by POGO's Center for Defense Information, discusses key issues and current challenges for military and Pentagon reform.
-
BrowseWe the People
A collection of TCP's work celebrating our founding charter and the rights and liberties it enshrines, and a chance to take stock of the work that remains to ensure its protections extend to everyone in the country.
-
BrowseDrug Money
The bottom line: The FDA is addicted to drug money.
-
BrowsePaper Cuts
Paper Cuts is an occasional POGO feature examining and explaining primary sources relevant to current events connected to the federal government.