Author Archive
Management
The continuing irresolution to fund the federal government
COMMENTARY | Congress just keeps getting worse at passing spending bills. There are consequences.
Management
That Time Abraham Lincoln went to a war zone to escape office-seekers
The front lines of the Civil War were a vacation compared to being literally stalked in Washington.
News
Saying goodbye to a giant in government journalism: Charlie Clark, 1953-2023
Clark, a former senior correspondent for GovExec, died Wednesday after a brief illness.
Oversight
What I learned covering government for 34 years
The privilege of reporting on the stuff that really matters.
Workforce
6 places where federal employees actually work in swamps
A tour of government-owned wetlands.
Workforce
Tom Hanks thinks he would be the best ever at this federal job
The actor’s ideal career would involve working for Uncle Sam.
Featured eBooks
Management
That Time acronymic management fads were all the rage
When an alphabet soup of concepts for organizational improvement swept through government.
Workforce
Meet the long-shot presidential candidate who wants term limits for federal employees
Vivek Ramaswamy also pledges to eliminate unions, move workers out of Washington and end “pro-lazy” remote work.
Workforce
Trump: I’ll Make Feds Pass Test on Constitution to Keep Their Jobs
Former president previously said the document was “like a foreign language.”
Management
That Time the Federal Retirement Wave Never Happened
Almost 25 years after the first dire warnings, we’re still waiting on the tsunami.
Management
That Time Even Minimum Telework Was Viewed With Wonder and Fear
Back then, it was called “telecommuting,” and managers didn’t know what to make of it. Some still don’t.
Management
That Time NASA Blew Up a Rocket and People Called it a Success (No, They Didn’t)
The “failure is not an option” standard demanded of the space agency has long hampered its efforts.
Oversight
That Time Federal Bank Examiners Were Told to Play Nice
The Trump administration gave overseers a culture-shifting directive: Don’t be mean.
Featured eBooks
Pay & Benefits
When Collecting Your Retirement Benefit Means Proving You’re Not Dead
Sometimes, OPM requires proof of life.
Management
Fifth Class of Inductees To Be Enshrined in Government Hall of Fame
Thurgood Marshall, Thad Allen and seven others join elite group.
Management
That Time the Federal Government Was Ruled By Czars
How a term for Russian oligarchs came to be applied to American government officials.
Pay & Benefits
That Time Three Wise Judges Ruled That Christmas Eve Was a Federal Holiday
Not every Christmas Eve, though.
Oversight
That Time the Education Department Was Eliminated
The first incarnation of the department, that is.
Management