Who is watching the watchdogs?

The government spends a lot of time talking about fiscal responsibility, efficiency, and accountability.

But one question that hardly ever gets asked is, “who is holding the government’s watchdogs accountable?”

Every federal agency has an Inspector General or an IG. An IG is an independent official charged with investigating fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct. When something goes wrong inside the government, these are the people tasked with uncovering it and shining light on things some would rather stay in shadow. Their work has exposed everything from procurement fraud to ethics violations and failures in national security. They are a vital cog in the machine of government.