Government Executive Vol. 37 No.2

FEATURES

• The Red Zone
  Federal agencies are about to enter an era of fiscal austerity unlike any seen before.
  By Shawn Zeller
• The Big Squeeze
  The coming fiscal crisis compels an effort to wring savings out of the budget by cutting poor-performing programs.
  By Amelia Gruber
• Intelligent Reform
  Spy agencies urgently need changes that the new law fails to address.
  By Shane Harris
• Flushed Out
  A former undercover operative explains how bad management drives out the CIA's best and brightest.
  By Lindsay Moran

NEWS+ANALYSIS

• ICE Warms Up
  New partnership nets major bust for immigration and customs agents. By Katherine McIntire Peters
• Blizzard of Bids
  Early reviews help agencies and contractors save time and money in the rush for Iraq rebuilding work. By Kimberly Palmer
• House Calls Go High Tech
  Astronauts dive deep to try space surgery. By Beth Dickey
• Winning Season
  Leadership Profile: Bob Otto and his 'dream team' transform Postal Service technology. By Denise Kersten

ADVICE+DISSENT

• Managing Technology

  Building the Medical Internet
  The vision of a digital health network faces funding and compatibility challenges. By Denise Kersten

• Management Matters

  Merit vs. Race
  The numbers don't tell the real performance ratings story. By Brian Friel

• Political World

  The Mighty Micropolis
  New census designation puts small-town America on the map. By Charles Mahtesian

• Viewpoint

  Looking Out for Deal-Breakers
  Farsighted project leaders can keep vital scientific research on the right track. By George K. Lucey, Ronald W. Armstrong, Laszlo B. Kish and Roger B. Clough

IN EVERY ISSUE

• Editor's Notebook
  
• Letters
• The Buzz
  More plum positions, a failed audit, leaving Homeland, and satisfied customers.
• Executive Recruitment
  A former government technology guru goes to the private sector to help contractors design their pitches. By Shawn Zeller
• Outlook
  Political appointees' resignation letters hold hidden lessons. By Tom Shoop