Assignment: Government Failure Investigation

📝 Description

Research a local government project that failed or went over budget to understand accountability and oversight.

Estimated Time: 3-4 hours

Category: Medium Effort Activity

📋 Requirements

Find news articles about failed/over-budget project
Attempt FOIA request for documents
Interview affected citizens
Write 'lessons learned' report
Connect to accountability concepts

✅ Complete/Incomplete Rubric

Student receives full points when ALL criteria below are met:

Project Research ✓

Specific failed project identified
Multiple news sources consulted
Timeline of failure documented
Budget overruns calculated
Key players identified

FOIA/Document Request ✓

FOIA request attempted (even if denied)
Process documented
Public documents found
Meeting minutes reviewed if available
Budget documents analyzed

Citizen Impact ✓

2+ affected citizens interviewed
Impact on community documented
Tax implications discussed
Alternative solutions explored
Public sentiment captured

Lessons Learned Report ✓

Professional report format
Clear failure points identified
Accountability gaps highlighted
Recommendations provided
Similar failures researched

Course Connections ✓

Connects to accountability concepts
Oversight mechanisms analyzed
Transparency issues discussed
Democratic checks evaluated
Reform suggestions based on course material