Archive
Government needs the kind of innovation that allows us to really get more for less.
A closer look at how "interest follows principal" in pension funds
Local libraries have fought back against budget cuts and adapted to new technology at a time when more are seeking information online.
Newark’s mayor is using a performance-based approach to keeping his city safer by cutting its prison recidivism.
Plus: A better way to rate hospital care, and more management news
Gov. Robert Bentley wants to shore up the state budget by moving money from an education fund to general revenue accounts. Both parties wonder whether that's such a good idea.
In a Republican debate in South Carolina Monday night, the Texas governor said the state "is at war with this federal government and this administration."
The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren't going to preschool.
Roy Ash, former director of the Office of Management and Budget, is gone, but his legacy is a profound change in the way we manage our governments.
View employment and payroll estimates for various functions of local government.
The state will supply an electronic device for every student in one school, cutting down on heavy and easily outdated textbooks.
Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco's first new sheriff in more than three decades, was charged Friday with battering his wife, booked by the very sheriff's deputies he now commands.
State Sen. Tom Davis, who served as chief of staff to former Republican Gov. Mark Sanford and is considered a vocal fiscal conservative, announced his support for the Texas congressman Sunday.
A new study finds digital learning could be cheaper than traditional education. But education experts say that cost shouldn't be the primary reason to pursuing this mode.
A Minn. courthouse shooting and a judge's decision to refuse cases in unsafe buildings sheds light on the increasingly unsafe conditions of many courtrooms around the country.
Missouri gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence has a degree in home economics, but the biography on his campaign website originally omitted the word "home."
Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman have all failed to qualify for the ballot in at least one upcoming GOP primary.
U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Sackett v. EPA, a case that could end up significantly hampering the EPA’s power to protect the environment.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper touched on a host of divisive issues in his State of the State address today, including the budget, economy and civil unions.
Economists and analysts are optimistic this year will be better than the last. Still, there are a few storm clouds on the horizon.
Arkansas’ unique approach to budgeting, a product of the Depression, is helping the state keep out of the red.
With Cecilia Muñoz in a new position, it's unclear who will take the reins at IGA.
Resolutions were meant to be broken. Here are two that government needs to break this year.
Several states may soon join California, which at the start of this year became the first state to make it illegal for teenagers to use cancer-causing tanning beds.
Health spending stabilized as a share of the nation's economy in 2010 after two back-to-back years of historically low growth.
What does the data collected by children and family advocates tell us about where to invest in kids?
Information technology is key to productivity gains for government. Budget directors need to keep that in mind.
IT is the most important tool for improving government output. Budget directors need to be ready to answer some important questions.
The “insurance capital of the world” is only the second state to assume the health program’s financial responsibility in the last decade.
Money will reimburse states for repairs prompted by natural disasters.
No one knew how to effect change better than Steve Jobs. What can public-sector leaders learn from his legacy of disruptive innovation?
The case might determine the balance of power in the U.S. House, with Republicans in a stronger position if the court allows Texas to use electoral districts drawn by the GOP-dominated Legislature.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief Friday in the U.S. Supreme Court, defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) against a legal challenge brought by Florida and 25 other states.
Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of No Child Left Behind, enacted on Jan. 8, 2002. Experts say that the focus on data has changed education reform for years to come.
Governing Design Director David Kidd went on assignment to photograph Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. He came back with an architecture review of Boston's old and current city hall.
An estimated 280,000 public employee jobs were cut in 2011, with local governments accounting for most of the losses.
The city's 911 operators are now able to give callers details about emergency events, reversing what the Sept. 11 Commission determined were flaws in a system that a decade ago denied people inside the burning World Trade Center potentially lifesaving information, officials said Thursday.
Detroit is no longer at risk of running out of cash by April because cost-cutting and other measures are taking effect, Mayor Dave Bing said Thursday, but the city council president and others do not share Bing's optimism.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) sent a letter Thursday to President Barack Obama and top congressional members of both parties, urging Congress to pass and the president to sign a bill reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act before the 2012-2013 school year begins.
The Bay State's highest court ruled that all eligible legal immigrants must get the option of low-cost subsidized health insurance.
As temperatures drop, residents get less government help paying their heating bills.
Incumbent governors rarely lose reelection. But there are a few factors that could put a state executive at risk.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and ACLU Michigan are suing the state over a new law that prohibits public employers from providing health insurance to the domestic partners of public employees.
This online Language Portal holds thousands of government documents designed to help people who speak limited to no English.
Voters in a tiny Native village increasingly eroded by storms on Alaska's northwest coast have overwhelmingly said yes to building a new school 7 miles away, a step some hope will eventually lead to the seemingly impossible task of relocating the remote community.
A teenager elected to a Pennsylvania borough council seat took office a few hours after pleading guilty to stalking and escape charges.
While outlining an aggressive agenda to boost New York's economy during his second year in office, Gov. Andrew Cuomo advocated several measures to help homeowners, the poor and disabled adults.
A Utah state lawmaker wants to make Medicaid users who smoke pay higher co-payments. If enacted, it might be the first law of its kind.
Mitt Romney's razor-thin victory at the Iowa Caucuses Tuesday provided pundits and the general public with a first taste of the 2012 election.
Most Indiana House Democrats were no-shows on the floor Wednesday when the Republican speaker tried to start the new session, a possible sign that lawmakers were walking out for the second straight year to oppose a "right-to-work" bill.
Taking recommendations from his Read to Lead task force, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker outlined Wednesday a new agenda to improve reading scores among the state's students.
Mitt Romney wins Iowa Caucus by 8 votes, with Rick Santorum a close second.
Former Republican Utah legislator Dan Liljenquist, a 2011 Governing Public Official of the Year, has announced that he's going to run for the U.S. Senate in Utah and will challenge six-term Sen. Orrin Hatch.
Senior administration officials tell The Associated Press that President Barack Obama will use a recess appointment to name Richard Cordray as the nation's chief consumer watchdog despite strong Republican opposition.
One state bureaucrat has the power to decide whether Las Vegas can draw extra water from underneath the state’s eastern counties, a question that has long concerned environmentalists and aggravated a political rift.
Activists hope to recreate the Bank of North Dakota's model for lending.
Indiana's Republican House leader said Tuesday that lawmakers will almost immediately take up labor legislation that's likely to dominate much of the state's 2012 session after it spurred a Democratic walkout last year.
Colorado House Republicans want to reinstate them asset tests for Medicaid recipients, even though the federal health care law bars them and it would make them ineligible for federal money.
Doubling water rates to fix crumbling underground infrastructure isn't popular with Chicagoans. But it's a lot more responsible than the approach that got Jefferson County into trouble.
Patchwork Nation, a project by The Christian Science Monitor, WNYC, Politico and PBS NewsHour, is tracking Iowa caucus results live, using eight profiles to explain how different voters choose their candidates.
Many local governments are accommodating droves of non-English speakers. View language data for each county and state.
A Midwestern community college consortium is working to train over 5,000 individuals in supporting electronic health records.
Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed new temporary rules and regulations that abortion-rights groups call a "political sneak attack on women's health."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded nearly $300 million to 23 states for enrolling more children in government health insurance programs.
Medicare is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is no longer pushing for a change in rules that kept two candidates off the state's March 6 Republican presidential primary ballot.
The Iowa race remarkably fluid, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney faces a suddenly surging Rick Santorum, an unpredictable Ron Paul factor and the challenge of winning over undecided conservatives in a state that spurned him four years ago.
There are real dangers in depending solely on evidence-based approaches to improving government.
It’s a powerful tool, but sometimes it might really be better to reinvent the wheel.
Commonwealth Care Alliance CEO Bob Master has a plan to change health-care delivery — and it doesn’t involve Medicaid managed care.
Governments are beginning to depend on data analytics not just to identify problems but to solve them.
Donahoe discusses his vision for a new Postal Service in a digital age.
View 2000-2010 language assessment census data for each county in the United States.
The head of the Governing Institute found a couple of surprises when he looked at population trends in a number of U.S. cities. Populations in big and small cities are bouncing back.
With the end of the year arriving, Governing collected the Top 10 Daily Digits from 2011.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. John Conyers joined religious and civil rights leaders Thursday to promise protests and possible civil disobedience against Michigan's new emergency manager law that could lead to a takeover of Detroit government.
According to a review of public documents, materials obtained by the AP and interviews with dozens of city and federal officials, the most controversial New York Police Department spying programs produced mixed results.
The 50 state legislatures have a lot of talent, but these 12 individuals are ones to watch.
These nine topics will shape debate in state legislatures in 2012.
The Texas environmental agency has rejected a request by oil giant Valero to get a large tax break at six refineries, exemptions that could have triggered refunds of up to $92 million that would have come out of the budgets of cash-strapped school districts and municipalities.
Oakland officials have rejected a measure that called on city leaders to use more aggressive policing to prevent disruptions at the port, following an anti-Wall Street demonstration earlier this month that blocked longshoremen from reporting to work.
Such car dealerships, where the company serves as both the seller and the loan holder, have largely eluded scrutiny from policymakers.
The dramatic rise in the number of people who speak limited English has prompted very different responses from local governments.
Boston's longest-serving mayor has started to think big. (But he still sweats the small stuff.)
A popular grant that funds the often-thankless work of forming master plans and zoning codes is no more.
The business incubator is no longer a new idea. Cities are pursuing business accelerators, a kind of incubator on steroids.
How much fraud actually occurs is debatable, but the benefits of eliminating it are clear. And many governments are taking steps to stop schemes, scams and public-sector swindles.
In this Public Finance column, John E. Petersen says that despite dire forecasts, states and localities paid their debts on time and in full.
A Houston man says he wants to clear his own conscience and pay a $1 parking ticket he got 58 years ago, even though the city's traffic violation records have been purged.
Roanoke, Va., and other cities are experimenting with new technologies that capture energy from footsteps, cars and more.
Technology has spurred a renewed interest in street art. Cash-strapped cities are combating the costly problem with smartphones.
Obama’s mixed approach of coercion and collaboration seems to be working, but that may not last.
Puerto Rico, which will vote on whether to become a state this summer, has reduced its spending by 20 percent in just two years with the help of public-private partnerships.
In a town with a large population of people older than 65, a program that pairs senior citizens and at-risk kids is reaping benefits for both.
Although she faced a lawsuit from Colorado’s Secretary of State, City and County Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson stood by her decision to send ballots to inactive voters in November’s elections.
In the current 24/7 news cycle, scandals often lead to bills in several statehouses.
For years, there have been two kinds of Republicans in the Kansas statehouse: conservatives and moderates. This year, the conservatives want total control.
In what may have been the only arrangement of its kind, the Midwestern city owned waterfront vacation property in Florida. The sale of it added $6 million to this year’s budget.
With the ballooning cost of benefits, a poor job market and more lean-government advocates in power, states are cutting personnel more than they have in the past.
Citing safety as the reason, dentists are fighting states’ efforts to create mid-level dental providers who can provide care to underserved areas. Some speculate they just fear losing business.
The public-private partnership, Envision Utah, is a national model for cities grappling with how to ease congestion, stop sprawl and clean the air.
A few resignations are passing through the Utah Legislature this month. The reason? State law bars lawmakers from fundraising for public office during the legislative session, which is just around the corner.
Doing performance-based budgeting right isn't easy. But it can pay big dividends, especially in a time of scarce resources.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday a new Pioneer accountable care organizations (ACO) initiative with 32 health care organizations participating in an effort that could save up to $1.1 billion over five years.
New figures released by the Labor Department show unemployment rates fell in 43 states. View state breakdowns for government payrolls.
Law enforcement deaths jumped this year to the highest total since 2007.
The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will use an unprecedented week's worth of argument time in late March to decide the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul.
The Governing Insitute's director explains that in thousands of small towns and cities across the country, the local post office is seen as the heart and soul of the community.
More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and an additional 36 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations.
A handful of platitudes have gained prominence among government leaders. They should learn to do more with less of them.
State totals for schools meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements
Republican Party officials in Iowa are taking new steps to secure their vote counting systems after an anonymous threat suggested computer hackers could attempt to disrupt next month's caucuses.
For people to trust their governments, public leaders need to keep some basics in mind.
It’s easy to get lost in the techniques of public management. But for people to have confidence in government, we need to get back to the basics.
States are scrambling to set up their health insurance exchanges as the 2014 deadline looms.
A personal financial disclosure form that presidential candidates are required to file shows that Texas Gov. Rick Perry is collecting his $7,700 monthly state pension.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outlined its approach for defining the essential health benefits package that insurers must offer under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Just weeks after accepting Governing’s Public Officials of the Year award, Utah Sen. Dan Liljenquist has resigned -- a move that many speculate is because he plans to run for Congress.
Nine states will receive Race To The Top Early Learning grants, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced Friday.
A federal board has proposed a centralized system for tracking spending. If implemented, officials say it could reduce state and local governments' reporting burden and improve data access for citizens.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation Thursday that increases the penalties for unlicensed drivers who are found guilty of causing great bodily harm or killing another person.
Federal Rail Administrator Joseph Szabo says that the feds remain committed to the controversial program.
Although Ed Secretary Arne Duncan previously said up to 80 percent of schools would be labeled failing in 2011, he says one thing is clear, "No Child Left Behind is broken."
A new system backed by 18 community groups gives parents and educators an easy-to-understand system to compare schools.
Grants total $511 million for 46 projects across the country.
Should financial projections be "required supplementary information"?
Texas was slower than any other state at responding to food-stamp applicants. Today, the state ranks near the top.
Everyone knows the havoc disasters wreck on finances. How about the good they have?
About 2.5 million young adults have become insured because of a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday.
Plus: Employee self-motivation and more management news
Over the last decade, however, scandal has consumed a depressingly long list of governors, exposing a sordid mix of ego and greed.
The maps would make 38 of 100 legislative seats competitive, with 24 in the 65-member House and 14 in the 35-member Senate.
Newspapers in Tennessee and New York urged policymakers to provide open access to the public.
A texting pickup truck driver who caused a deadly highway pileup in Missouri last year has federal accident investigators taking a hard look at the use of distracting devices behind the wheel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System tracks fatal accidents on U.S. roadways.
Three veteran judges are tacking big reforms at children and family services departments in three states.
Prospects for a high-speed national rail network are dimming. There are good reasons why.
The nation's largest teachers union has voiced its support for a variety of reforms to improve the teaching workforce.
New mayors stepped up to the rigors of campaigning and succeeded in getting themselves elected. Now, they begin the hard part.
Recently-released National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows fatalities declined in 31 states in 2010. View current and historical totals for your state.
The Harrisburg City Council has appealed a judge's decision to throw out the bankruptcy petition of Pennsylvania's debt-choked capital city, its attorney said.
Raise it or reform it: Is it time for states to rethink the gas tax?
When Roanoke, Va., needed money for its schools, it found a creative way to make a tax increase more than palatable.
A Virginia city found a way to make a tax increase for its schools easy to swallow.
Tough times create an appetite for change. Nowhere has that been more true than in government this year.
Annual employee appraisals are at best a waste of time -- and they could actually be keeping your agency from improving.
