About

CrossGov is an independent publication about how US government works, federal first, with state and local governments too: what Congress and legislatures fund, what agencies do with the money, what the courts allow and what the watchdogs find.

The name describes the method. Washington’s decisions cross borders, agency lines and the lines between federal, state and local government, so we follow them across all three. A tariff ruling ends up in Tokyo and Brussels. A rule written at the Commerce Department splits a company in the Netherlands. A procurement change at GSA decides what software a whole government runs. When another country has tried the same thing, we look at how it went, because the comparison is often the fastest way to see whether a US policy is working.

What we cover

Congress and the budget. Appropriations, shutdowns and stopgaps, the debt limit, rescissions and the fights over who controls federal money.

The watchdogs. GAO’s reports, high-risk list and legal decisions, the Congressional Research Service, inspectors general, and what their numbers say about programmes and spending.

Agencies and the federal workforce. Hiring, cuts, reorganisations and the rules that govern the civil service, from OPM to the Department of Energy.

Procurement and technology. How Washington buys things, from GSA’s governmentwide deals to FedRAMP cloud approvals, and why big government IT projects fail.

Regulation and the courts. AI, export controls, trade, cybersecurity, energy and permitting, and the Supreme Court cases that reset the rules.

States and cities. Where federal policy meets state capitals and city halls: state laws that Washington tries to override, federal grants and mandates, and state and local governments that try something first.

America and its partners. Sanctions, alliances, intelligence sharing and trade disputes, always from the point of view of what Washington decided and what followed.

How we work

We go to the source. GAO and CRS reports, Department of Energy releases, the Federal Register, court opinions and agency data come before commentary about them.

We keep it measurable. Dates, dollar figures, vote counts and named programmes. Where a number is disputed, we say so.

We don’t take sides in party fights. The question is whether a policy does what it was meant to do, what it costs, and how it compares with the alternatives.

Who we are

CrossGov is privately run and independent. It isn’t affiliated with any government, agency or political party, and nothing here is official guidance. The name describes the beat. It doesn’t mean we speak for anyone.