Check out the top 10 stories that appeared on the Federal Drive over the course of 2011. Be sure to check out all of our special report "2011 and Beyond.".

The House Democratic committee urged the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to avoid further cuts to federal pay and benefits. (Oct. 13, 2011).

The Defense Department wants a better understanding of the industrial base that supplies it with goods and services. To accomplish that, DoD leaders began working on a continually-updated map of the companies in every tier and every sector of the defense contracting industry. (Nov. 2, 2011).

In a shutdown, just because you can work from home doesn't mean you should. That means even if you are not in the office, you can't work on your smartphones, laptops or other devices. (Feb. 24, 2011).

Strategies for living through a shutdown aren't all that different from your usual financial survival plans, according to a registered employee benefit consultant. (March 4, 2011).

Try as they might, lawmakers still had no deal on raising the federal debt ceiling just a week before it was set to expire. What if it takes them longer than the self-imposed Aug. 2 deadline? (July 21, 2011).

Following the shooting in Arizona that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed one of her aides, lawmakers grew concerned about increased threats. (Jan. 10, 2011).

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe is taking control of an organization in fiscal crisis. He told Federal News Radio he's confident the USPS will return to black, but not without cutting back on delivery days. (Jan. 21, 2011).

In the rush for the door and the worry about a possible shutdown, Federal News Radio put together a few reminders before you leave the office. (April 7, 2011).

The cryptologic intelligence agency - home to the government's chief codemakers and breakers - announced its intention to hire as many as 3,000 people over the next two years, many of them cybersecurity experts. (Aug.15, 2011).

Everybody has heard the national Emergency Alert System (EAS). Those familiar "duck calls" that reassure listeners "THIS is a test...this is ONLY a test." The FCC is planning an upgrade to the tests by including presidential announcements in the system (Feb. 7, 2011)..