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From its founding in 1921 until July 2004, GAO was an abbreviation for General Accounting Office; the current name was established as part of the GAO Human Capital Reform Act .
The GAO, a United States government electronic data provider, examines the use of public funds, evaluates federal programs and activities, and provides analyses, options, recommendations, and other assistance to help the Congress make effective oversight, policy, and funding decisions. In this context, GAO works to continuously improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the federal government through financial audits, program reviews and evaluations, analyses, legal opinions, investigations, and other services. The GAO's activities are designed to ensure the executive branch's accountability to the Congress under the Constitution and the government's accountability to the American people.
Most reports come from requests from members of Congress, and so reflect concerns of current political import, but many reports are issued periodically and take a long view of US agencies' operations. Examples of these are the annual Performance and Accountability Series and High Risk Update.