TABLE of CONTENTS May 2013
How Generation X is Shaping Government
BY Rob Gurwitt
Overshadowed by baby boomers on one side and millennials on the other, it’s Generation X that’s actually shaping the way government and citizens interact.
FEATURES
What Happened to Federalism?
Washington used to know how to listen to the states; there was even a commission for intergovernmental relations. Can Washington overcome politics and partisanship to work together again?
The Future of Insurance in an Era of Health Reform
Nobody knows exactly what the Affordable Care Act will do to the insurance industry. But many in the private sector, including Aetna’s CEO, are saying it’s time for the industry to change.
Has High-Speed Rail Been Derailed?
Four years after President Barack Obama declared high-speed rail a national priority, the financial hurdles seem higher than ever.
Water-Powered Electricity Flows Through Santa Rosa
In Santa Rosa, Calif., the electricity powering a lamp may very well come from recycled wastewater.
POLITICS + POLICY
Education
Should School Boards be Expelled?
Local boards were designed to take politics out of education. But increasing politicization of the boards themselves has led to calls to eliminate them.
Management & Labor
Gavin Newsom on How Citizens Can Use Technology to Influence Government
California’s lieutenant governor, widely seen as a potential gubernatorial candidate, writes about the importance of citizen engagement in his new book “Citizenville.”
Public Safety & Justice
L.A. Builds Mini Parks to Drive Away Sex Offenders
Many municipalities prohibit sex offenders from living near parks. L.A. and Miami are taking it one step further and calling patches of grass “parks” in order to rid their cities of the offenders who currently reside there.
Politics
States Look to Reduce Part-Time Lawmakers’ Bias
Most state lawmakers supplement their legislative job with one in the private sector. To reduce the conflicts of interest that inevitably arise from this, states are considering revising their ethics laws.
Columns
Innovation’s Unexpected Return to States
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.
Dispatch
Supreme Court Looks at State Public Records Rules
A case before the nation’s highest court could change the way citizens, journalists and entrepreneurs access government-held information.
Potomac Chronicle
How Boomers, Millennials and Immigrants Are Changing America
These demographics will have a profound effect on the needs of the country, and state and local officials need to take notice.
FedWatch
Will the Marketplace Fairness Act Succeed in 2013?
The legislation fizzled last year as Congress became mired in the fiscal cliff debate. But advocates are hopeful for a different result this time.
Health & Human Services
Medicaid Fraud: Is it Worth States’ Time to Fight it?
As health care for the poor expands, so does the potential for Medicaid abuse. Three states’ experiences with fraud prevention give insight into its value.
Infrastructure & Environment
How Milwaukee Became a Center for Water Innovation
The world needs water. Milwaukee not only has lots of it, but it also has transformed itself into a hub for water research and technology.
Economic Engines
Is Texas’ Economy Really Better Than California’s?
Gov. Rick Perry often touts Texas’ economic success, which he attributes to lower taxes and fewer regulations than cash-strapped California. But if Texas is so compelling, why did Perry go to California looking for new companies?
Urban Notebook
Preservation Tax Credit and Local History in Danger
The historic tax credit, which has helped preserve thousands of old buildings in cities across the country, is at risk of being eliminated.
PROBLEM SOLVER
By the Numbers
America’s Rural-Urban Divide is Growing
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.
Smart Management
How to Keep Costly Road Repairs to a Minimum
Coordination between public agencies and utilities will keep streets from being torn up, again and again.
Better Government
Governing for a Rainy Day
Healthy reserve funds allow governments to be careful and smart.
Tech Talk
How New Jersey Weathered Superstorm Sandy
Thanks to a little bit of luck and a lot of preparation, the state’s important computer systems and network withstood the storm.
Public Money
Gun Debate Revives the Pension-Investment Dispute
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?
