Foundation for Government Accountability

Last updated
Foundation for Government Accountability
Founder(s) Tarren Bragdon
Established2011
FocusHealth care and welfare policy reform
PresidentTarren Bragdon
BudgetRevenue: $9,424,541
Expenses: $7,890,155
(FYE December 2018) [1]
Address15275 Collier Blvd.
Naples, FL 34119
Location
Naples, Florida [2]
,
United States
Coordinates 26°16′19″N81°41′27″W / 26.2719°N 81.6909°W / 26.2719; -81.6909
Website thefga.org

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is a conservative American public policy think tank based in Naples, Florida. The nonprofit organization primarily focuses on reducing the welfare state, reducing restrictions on teenage workers, and blocking the expansion of Medicaid at both the state and federal levels. FGA conducts policy research and its experts recommend free-market policies intended to promote work, reduce dependency, and increase opportunity. The organization was founded in 2011 by Tarren Bragdon, now FGA's CEO and president. The group's "emphasis on policy messaging and marketing...has differentiated the group from traditional think tanks." [3]

Contents

History

FGA was founded in 2011 by Tarren Bragdon, a former Maine legislator and past CEO of the Maine Heritage Policy Center. According to the organization, FGA was founded with a focus on policy reform in Florida, but adapted to a multi-state focus to implement reforms that reduce government nationwide and cutting social safety net and anti-poverty programs. [4]

FGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. FGA states that it is primarily funded by individuals, with the remaining funding coming from foundations and businesses. In 2011, the organization's income was $212,000 and in 2012 its funding grew to $731,000. By 2018, the organization's revenue was $9,424,541. [5]

FGA has a staff of 26. In 2017, the group had $7 million in revenue [3] and $10.6 million in 2020. The FGA's five largest donors in 2022 were the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation, the 85 Fund, a nonprofit connected to political operative Leonard Leo, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the Searle Freedom Trust, and Donors Trust. [4]

The FGA is unlike traditional think tanks in that its primary focus is on marketing and policy messaging. Jim McGann, the director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania noted, "FGA isn't doing much 'thinking,' in the traditional sense. But they market policy. They push, repackage and franchise other people's ideas for implementation." [3] The FGA announced it was a part of the State Policy Network at its conference in 2013. The State Policy Network is a confederation of conservative state-level think tanks that practice what leaders call the "Ikea model" of advocacy, creating prefabricated policy projects for state officials and providing research and lobbying support to aid in legislative and administrative implementation. In 2021, Arkansas legislators passed measures backed by the FGA and in 2022, the FGA said it had achieved 144 "state policy reform wins" including 45 related to unemployment and welfare. [4]

Policy issues

Teenage workers

The FGA has designed numerous policies to undermine or repeal parts of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, particularly with an eye towards expanding the legality of teenage labor. FGA's framing of these bills includes a stated commitment to expanding parental rights, expanding the US workforce, and deconstructing government regulations, stating that these bills remove a "...permission slip that inserts government in between parents and their teenager's desire to work." According to The Washington Post, the FGA "has called for reforming home-based business laws, fast-tracking permitting processes, cutting social safety nets, and creating other incentives to work." FGA backed legislation reducing child labor protections was proposed or passed in 2023 in a number of states, including Iowa, Arkansas, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Missouri. [4]

Welfare reform

By studying and tracking the impact of different reforms, the FGA aims to describe what welfare policies have a demonstrable effect on the incomes and independence of people on welfare. The FGA conducted what describes itself as the first and most comprehensive study [6] of the impact of work requirements on able-bodied adults on food stamps. The study concluded that incomes more than doubled within a year for those who transitioned out of the program, in contrast to other studies that found far more modest or even negative gains after comparable programs imposed time limits or means-testing. [7] The study, which was promoted by Republicans, was criticized by both liberal and conservative economists for cherry-picking data, including only reporting outcomes from former food stamp recipients who found jobs after losing benefits. [3]

FGA supports work requirements tied to food stamps. The organization advocated for welfare changes in several different states before beginning to advocate for changes at a federal level in 2017. FGA supports legislation that would require able-bodied individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 to work or attend training programs for 20 hours each week in order to receive benefits. [3]

Medicaid expansion

Blocking Medicaid expansion has been a longtime project of the FGA, as it sees Medicaid spending under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as unsustainable, threatening both state budgets and the services provided to traditional Medicaid patients. [8] One study [9] developed a measure of "right-wing network strength" based on activity by organizations including the FGA, and found via linear regression that this measure was a statistically significant factor in whether or not a state expanded the program.

Right to Shop

Right to Shop is an FGA proposal for a mechanism incentivizing patients to shop for health care services based on price and perceived value. It is based on existing programs, including a Massachusetts price transparency component [10] and New Hampshire's Smart Shopper program. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medicaid</span> United States social health care program for families and individuals with limited resources

In the United States, Medicaid is a government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by state governments, which also have wide latitude in determining eligibility and benefits, but the federal government sets baseline standards for state Medicaid programs and provides a significant portion of their funding.

Welfare reform is the process of proposing and adopting changes to a welfare system in order to improve the efficiency and administration of government assistance programs with the goal of enhancing equity and fairness for both welfare recipients and taxpayers. Reform programs have various aims: empowering individuals to help them become self-sufficient, ensuring the sustainability and solvency of various welfare programs, and/or promoting equitable distribution of resources. Welfare reform is constantly debated because of the varying opinions on a government's need to balance the imperatives of guaranteeing welfare benefits and promoting self-sufficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Health Insurance Program</span> Health Insurance program for families administered by the United States

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – formerly known as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children. The program was designed to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid. The program was passed into law as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and the statutory authority for CHIP is under title XXI of the Social Security Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act</span> United States welfare reform law

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The bill implemented major changes to U.S. social welfare policy, replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

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Families USA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer health advocacy and policy organization.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is an American conservative think tank based in Austin, Texas. The organization was founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger, who sought intellectual support for his education reform ideas, including public school vouchers. Projects of the organization include Right on Crime, which is focused on criminal justice reform, and Fueling Freedom, which seeks to "explain the forgotten moral case for fossil fuels" by rejecting the scientific consensus on climate change.

Sutherland Institute is a conservative public policy think tank located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Institute was founded in 1995 by Utah businessman and philanthropist Gaylord K. Swim. The Sutherland Institute believes that families, private initiatives, voluntary associations, churches and businesses are better than the government at solving problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social programs in the United States</span> Overview of social programs in the United States of America

The United States spends approximately $2.3 trillion on federal and state social programs include cash assistance, health insurance, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, and education and childcare assistance. Similar benefits are sometimes provided by the private sector either through policy mandates or on a voluntary basis. Employer-sponsored health insurance is an example of this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Policy Matters Ohio</span> Nonprofit organization in Ohio

Policy Matters Ohio is a nonprofit, progressive think tank based in Ohio. The organization focuses on a variety of issues in Ohio on labor economics, taxation, public schools, and policing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Policy Network</span> US civil policy advocacy organization

The State Policy Network (SPN) is a nonprofit organization that serves as a network for conservative and libertarian think tanks focusing on state-level policy in the United States. The network serves as a public policy clearinghouse and advises its member think tanks on fundraising, running a nonprofit, and communicating ideas. Founded in 1992, it is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with member groups located in all fifty states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yankee Institute for Public Policy</span> American political think tank

The Yankee Institute for Public Policy is a conservative American think tank based in Hartford, Connecticut, that researches Connecticut public policy questions. Organized as a 501(c)(3), the group's stated mission is to "develop and advocate for free market, limited government public policy solutions in Connecticut." Yankee was founded in 1984 by Bernard Zimmern, a French entrepreneur who was living in Norwalk, Connecticut, and professor Gerald Gunderson of Trinity College. The organization is a member of the State Policy Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine Policy Institute</span> Conservative free-market think tank

The Maine Policy Institute (MPI), formerly the Maine Heritage Policy Center, is a conservative free-market think tank located in Portland, Maine. According to its mission statement, MPI is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts detailed and timely research to educate the public, the media, and lawmakers about public policy solutions that advance economic freedom and individual liberty in Maine." The organization has an associated media outlet, The Maine Wire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platte Institute</span> American free market advocacy group

The Platte Institute for Economic Research is a free market advocacy group and think tank headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The group is conservative.

The Searle Freedom Trust is a 501(c)(3) grant-making foundation located in the United States. It was established by business executive Daniel C. Searle in 1998. As of 2017, the trust had an endowment of $141 million.

The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is an American conservative think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs. The institute's focus covers a wide variety of issues including healthcare, higher education, public housing, prisoner reentry, and policing. It was established in Manhattan in 1978 by Antony Fisher and William J. Casey.

Tarren Bragdon is an American former state legislator and think tank founder. At age 21, Bragdon won a seat in the Maine House of Representatives and became the youngest state legislator ever elected in Maine. A Republican, Bragdon served in the Maine House from 1996 through 2000. After two terms in office, Bragdon declined to seek re-election, instead taking a job running the Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC). Bragdon headed MHPC, a conservative think tank, from 2008 through 2011.

The Empire Center for Public Policy is a fiscally conservative think tank and government watchdog group based in Albany, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Policy Institute</span> Libertarian think tank

The Illinois Policy Institute(IPI) a conservative nonprofit think tank with offices in Chicago and Springfield. Founded in 2002, it is active in the areas of education policy, pension policy, and state budget issues. IPI advocates for smaller government and lower taxes. It has an affiliated lobbying arm and legal arm. IPI is a member of the State Policy Network, a consortium of free-market think tanks in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Assistance Plan</span> Welfare program

The Family Assistance Plan (FAP) was a welfare program introduced by President Richard Nixon in August 1969, which aimed to implement a negative income tax for households with working parents. The FAP was influenced by President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty program that aimed to expand welfare across all American citizens, especially for working-class Americans. Nixon intended for the FAP to replace existing welfare programs such as the Aid to Assist Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program as a way to attract conservative voters that were beginning to become wary of welfare while maintaining middle-class constituencies. The FAP specifically provided aid assistance to working-class Americans, dividing benefits based on age, the number of children, family income, and eligibility. Initially, the Nixon administration thought the FAP legislation would easily pass through the House of Representatives and the more liberal Senate, as both chambers were controlled by the Democratic Party. In June 1971, the FAP under the bill H.R. 1 during the 92nd Congress, passed in the House of Representatives. However, from December 1971 to June 1972 H.R.1 bill that included the FAP underwent scrutiny in the Senate chamber, particularly by the Senate Finance Committee controlled by the conservative Democrats, while the Republicans were also reluctant on passing the program. Eventually, on October 5 of 1972, a revised version of H.R.1 passed the Senate with a vote of 68-5 that only authorized funding for FAP testing before its implementation. During House-Senate reconciliation, before Nixon signed the bill on October 15, 1972, the entire provision on FAP was dropped. The FAP enjoyed broad support from Americans across different regions. Reception towards the program varied across racial, regional, income, and gender differences. The FAP is best remembered for beginning the rhetoric against the expansion of welfare that was popular during the New Deal. It initiated the support for anti-welfare conservative movements that became mainstream in American political discourse during the Reagan era.

References

  1. ↑ "Quickview data". GuideStar.
  2. ↑ Wemple, Erik (January 28, 2014). "MSNBC's Rachel Maddow recommits to her slam on Koch brothers". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dewey, Caitlin (May 18, 2018). "They're the think tank pushing for welfare work requirements. Republicans say they're experts. Economists call it 'junk science.'". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bogage, Jacob; Paul, Maria Luisa (23 April 2023). "The conservative campaign to rewrite child labor laws". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "FOUNDATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY INC - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Report: The Power of Work – How Kansas' Welfare Reform is Lifting Americans Out of Poverty" . Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  7. ↑ Robert A Moffitt (30 November 2001). "From Welfare to Work: What the Evidence Shows" . Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  8. ↑ "Stop Medicaid Expansion" . Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  9. ↑ Hertel-Fernandez, Alexander (April 2016). "Business Associations, Conservative Networks, and the Ongoing Republican War over Medicaid Expansion" (PDF). Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 41 (2): 239–86. doi:10.1215/03616878-3476141. PMID   26732316 . Retrieved 2016-08-01– via Duke Journals.
  10. ↑ "Price Tags On Health Care? Only In Massachusetts". 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  11. ↑ "Vitals SmartShopper Program, State of New Hampshire Human Resources". das.nh.gov. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  12. ↑ "Episode 655: Pay Patients, Save Money". NPR . Retrieved 2016-08-01.
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