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A STATEMENT FROM GOVERNING READ MORE

Course Correction

Once-popular public golf courses have become a strain on many cities’ budgets. Are municipal greens still up to par?

What Cities Can Learn From Burning Man

The annual gathering is a radical experiment in urban design that rebuilds itself in the desert every year -- with the help of its residents.

Just How Big Is Burning Man?

Every year, people build a city solely for the event, then take it down a week later.

8 Ways to Make Your City More Like Burning Man

From building public art to creating "sacred spaces," the annual event is inspiring leaders across America.

From Wall Street to City Hall: The Woman Who Shocked Philadelphia Politics

Rebecca Rhynhart ousted a three-term incumbent to become the city’s first female controller.

7 States Where Demographics Haven't Determined Their Political Destiny -- Yet

From weak state parties to regional differences, we look at why these states are defying demographics.

The Parking Garages of the Future

As many of them fall into disrepair, some are adapting to cities' changing needs.

Amid Concerns of a Recession, Pension Plan Returns Fall Short

After two straight years of beating expectations, pension investment earnings have slightly dipped thanks in part to fears of a trade war.

Where Nonprofits Are Most Prevalent in America

When a community is in fiscal trouble, nonprofits are often a big help. But some places have far fewer of them.

COMMENTARY

Reality TV Politics

Soundbites and slogans might work in Washington, but closer to home voters expect results.

COMMENTARY

The Framework for Coping With an Environmental Disaster

Lessons Flint has learned as it works to get lead out of its drinking water can show the way for other cities coping with their own crises.

COMMENTARY

A Checklist for Evidence-Based Government

It's a way to measure progress toward building and strengthening a culture of learning and improvement.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

1987

Year Governing was founded by Peter A. Harkness. It will discontinue publication this fall.

MORE DIGITS
Lemonade stand

A License for a Lemonade Stand? States Rethink Business Licensing

The debate is playing out around the country but has been most controversial in Texas.

MOST READ

  1. 1

    The Parking Garages of the Future
  2. 2

    7 States Where Demographics Haven't Determined Their Political Destiny -- Yet

  3. 3

    What Cities Can Learn From Burning Man
  4. 4

    Where Nonprofits Are Most Prevalent in America
  5. 5

    Course Correction
  6. 6

    Amid Concerns of a Recession, Pension Plan Returns Fall Short
  7. 7

    The Problem With One-Stop Government
Seattle City Council candidate Pat Murakami, left, shakes hands with a black man.

More Than 700: Why So Many People Are Running for Office in Seattle This Year

A booming population and new campaign finance options have brought out a record number of candidates.

WHO SAID THAT?

“Power and responsibility is shifting from the nation's capital to the states and localities. That isn't a theory, it's a fact. What is also a fact is the absence of information and analysis concerning state and local governments.”

MORE QUOTES
Hands clasped through a jail cell.

America Has a Health-Care Crisis — in Prisons

Privatization and years of inadequate resources have left the incarcerated population with abysmal medical care.

Voting by Phone Is Convenient, But Is It Too Risky?

The option is spreading at a time of heightened fear of foreign interference in U.S. elections. It has been used in a few local elections and will be available to some voters in the 2020 presidential caucuses.

Are States Taking Cybersecurity Seriously Enough?

Only one has a cabinet-level official dedicated to the issue.

Cleaning Up the Anacostia River, One Boat at a Time

Photos and musings from our photographer.

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How Pennsylvania's Transportation Secretary Is Shifting the Infrastructure Conversation in Her State and Across the Country

Secretary Leslie Richards is trying to re-engineer the engineering process by making community engagement a top priority.

How Cities Are Bringing 911 Into the 21st Century

Community paramedicine is changing the way some places respond to health emergencies.

Will Climate Change Lead to a 'Fiscal Tsunami'?

Ratings agencies want more information about each state and local government's vulnerability to extreme weather. Moody's isn't waiting for them to give it up.

Why the GOP Frontrunner Might Lose the Mississippi Governor's Race

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has been the frontrunner all year, but in Tuesday's primary, he fell just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.

The Long Road to Recovery After Years of Severe Budget Cuts

Eight years of state government atrophy may be coming to an end in Kansas. But it will take a long time, and quite a bit of pain.

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