• Gun Debate Revives the Pension-Investment Dispute
• BY: Penelope Lemov   |   May 2013
• When there’s public outcry over something -- whether it’s gun control or apartheid -- states and cities reevaluate what their pension plans invest in. But should they be social investing at all?

• Innovation’s Unexpected Return to States
• BY: Alan Ehrenhalt   |   May 2013
• The laboratories of democracy have reopened after the recession. But they’re not delivering the results that most experts have been conditioned to expect from them.
• 1 Comments

• Preservation Tax Credit and Local History in Danger
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   May 2013
• The historic tax credit, which has helped preserve thousands of old buildings in cities across the country, is at risk of being eliminated.
• 1 Comments

• How New Jersey Weathered Superstorm Sandy
• BY: Steve Towns   |   May 2013
• Thanks to a little bit of luck and a lot of preparation, the state’s important computer systems and network withstood the storm.

• Youth Unemployment Reached Record Highs: What Can Officials Do About It?
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   April 29, 2013
• The number of out-of-work teens and twenty-somethings climbed to record levels during the recession. View data for each state.

• Should Universities Move Away From a Liberal Arts Education?
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   April 29, 2013
• Some governors have proposed prioritizing funding for high-demand degrees in science and technology fields.
• 6 Comments

• What Anthony Foxx's Nomination Means for Transit
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   April 29, 2013
• The Charlotte mayor's nomination as DOT secretary is being viewed as an overture to the role of metro areas in transportation planning.
• 1 Comments

• Why States Are Using Welfare to Pay for Housing
• BY: J.B. Wogan   |   April 29, 2013
• A program to lift people out of homelessness under President Obama's stimulus package yielded some encouraging early results, but lacks a long-term funding source. Some states are turning to welfare.

• State Pre-K Funding Hits Historic Low
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   April 29, 2013
• As Obama pushes for universal preschool, a new report shows that states endured a historic drop in pre-K funding last year, and enrollment stagnated for the first time in years.
• 1 Comments

• America’s Rural-Urban Divide is Growing
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   April 28, 2013
• Rural populations are shrinking as Americans migrate to cities and suburbs. As a result, rural areas are mobilizing to grow and convince residents to stay.
• 2 Comments

• Do Tax Breaks for Senior Citizens Pay for Themselves?
• BY: Penelope Lemov   |   April 25, 2013
• Cash-strapped states are questioning the tax exemptions they offer the elderly.
• 4 Comments

• What's the Back-Up Plan for Health Insurance Exchanges?
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   April 25, 2013
• Nobody knows for sure, as critical deadlines approach.

• Can Vocational Education Produce the Citizens We Need?
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   April 24, 2013
• Students on the technical track need solid academics, not just job training. It's important to spend these public-education dollars wisely.

• Just How Screwed is the Highway Trust Fund?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   April 24, 2013
• A new report from the Congressional Budget Office warns that Congress will have to dramatically cut transportation spending or raise the gas tax.
• 4 Comments

• Leadership and the Power of Killer Bees
• BY: Otis White   |   April 24, 2013
• Attacking a problem with a single masterstroke is appealing. But sometimes the best approach is swarming it from all directions.