Oversight Matters Episode 4: Ryan Alexander

On this episode of oversight matters, my guest is Ryan Alexander.

Ryan served as president of Taxpayers for Common Sense for fourteen years. Taxpayers for Common Sense is a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars and that government operates within its means. They conduct their own robust investigations and issue their own reports, an interesting example of oversight by a nonprofit.

Ryan has worked with allies all across the political spectrum to get things done, and has testified to Congress on a wide range of topics related to federal spending, subsidies, and fiscal policy. Her perspective on oversight is one of someone who conducted oversight not from a position in Congress, nor from a state legislature, but as a nonprofit seeking to inform the public and equip decision-makers with facts.

Ryan co-founded Appalachian Mountain Advocates, which she continues to chair, and sits on the boards of directors of the Fund for Constitutional Government, Project on Government Oversight, and R Street Institute.

Together, we discuss habitual oversight like the GAO’s high-risk list, and oversight on a wide range of topics including oil & gas and cybersecurity. I enjoyed this conversation and hope you all do as well.

The views expressed on Oversight Matters do not necessarily represent the views of Wayne State University or Wayne State Law School.