Christopher Conte

Recent Articles

• Fat City
• Jun 1, 2006
• Is there a way for a government to fight obesity? Chicago's new health commissioner is trying to figure that out.

• Expert Exodus
• Feb 1, 2006
• As baby boomers retire, governments are trying to keep knowledge and experience from going out the door with them.

• The Politics of Preschool
• Jun 1, 2005
• Most states are sold on the benefits of universal preschool, but limited funding may compromise its quality and availability.

• The Training Line
• Dec 1, 2004
• States are under pressure to update the way they prepare prison guards for their job--and what they prepare them to do.
• 2 Comments

• Dealing with Demons
• Aug 1, 2004
• Seen as a public health problem, suicide is preventable--at least that's an approach several states are starting to take.

• Honey, I Shrunk The Deficit!
• Dec 1, 2003
• Computer games offer citizens the chance to see how government works and the trade-offs involved in policy making.

• Deadly Strains
• Jun 1, 2003
• SARS, West Nile virus and bioterrorism are the big scares. But the greater threat is the gradual erosion of public health services.

• Dry Spell
• Mar 1, 2003
• Places can't stop drought from coming their way, but they can control its devastating effects.

• Dry Spell
• Mar 1, 2003
• Places can't stop drought from coming their way, but they can control its devastating effects.

• The Boundaries of Choice
• Dec 1, 2002
• A growing number of school districts allow poor children to transfer out of failing public schools. But the most desirable schools rarely let them in.

• The Great Broadband Heist
• Aug 1, 2002
• Federal regulators and state legislators are robbing localities of control over high-speed access to the Internet.

• Getting to Know You
• May 1, 2002
• Corporations have an insatiable appetite for personal data about the habits of consumers. Critics say they shouldn't compile it without asking permission.

• Strangers on the Prairie
• Jan 1, 2002
• Iowa's immigrant-friendly policies aren't wildly popular among its residents. But the state has little choice. It needs people.

• Security Costs Hit Home
• Dec 1, 2001
• State and local budgets are pressed to pay for more police, fire and public health personnel and for new safety equipment.

• Sudden City
• Nov 1, 2001
• Deciding how to run a newly incorporated city inevitably ignites debate over the role and responsibilities of government.