Archive
The largest elections jurisdiction in the country is trying to develop its own unique voting system. But it faces some hurdles to get there.
Outcome-based government can achieve a lot, but politicians sometimes have trouble making the cultural shift that is needed.
Accountability-based government requires a culture shift for elected officials. It’s a change they’re not always ready to make.
Democrats and Republicans both oppose the law. But they didn't repeal it when they had the chance Thursday.
New figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 25 states reported slight declines in unemployment. View and compare figures for each state with our data tool.
New reports give recommendations for reforming teacher pension programs.
Fla. Gov. Rick Scott has posted university faculty salaries online, and is now compiling additional data. Some public educators, though, question his motives as the state considers reforms to higher education.
A panel of education experts debated whether a focus on achievement gaps for disadvantaged students has turned attention away from others and explored how changes in policy could address both concerns.
As Washington argues about a federal approach to infrastructure, two Midwestern mayors are forging ahead with local solutions that focus strongly on economic development.
GASB disclosure rules could inject truth serum into pension projections.
Some state prison inmates can stay in a local hospital at federal expense. Starting in three years, almost all of them will be able to.
Plus: The soothing power of shelter dogs, and more management news
As Washington argues about how to create jobs, it should look to what local governments can do.
Are localities looking for revenue in the wrong place?
More than 300 federal grants were awarded for transportation projects. View a complete list with projects in your state.
People can't secure jobs without showing up to interviews. Sacramento County is making sure homeless people can.
What the public sector can learn from the life of the Apple founder.
Economic experts pointed to a disconnect between the public's understanding of the nation's financial predicament and steps that must be taken to ensure its stability.
Much of his distinctive and personal way of managing is a poor fit for the public sector. But there are some lessons in how he led.
A bill to repeal the policy -- widely opposed by local governments -- was approved on a voice vote.
The transportation secretary urges Republicans to invest in infrastructure, despite defeat of legislation.
Financial data for state and local government retirement systems
U.S. state and local public employee retirement systems lost $726 billion in fiscal year 2009, according to new data. View figures for each state to see how they compare.
The City of Houston has created a new tool to show taxpayers how their dollars are spent -- down to the very last cent.
State leaders and the mayor oppose the move, but the bankruptcy attorney -- representing the city council -- tells Governing the process will continue.
Put your idle cash to work and eliminate unnecessary fees from your portfolio.
A Boston-based community development group is helping foreclosed homeowners keep their homes and stabilizing neighborhoods hit hard by the recession.
With localities scrambling to find investors, the National League of Cities ponders jumping into the insurance business.
But a top Republican says the efforts are "a drop in the bucket" compared to the task at hand.
The U.S. Census Bureau has released a new list of jurisdictions required to offer language assistance as mandated by the Voting Rights Act. Check and see if your area is covered.
Think the states’ $1 trillion retirement-fund shortfall is bad? One federal pension system’s funding gap dwarfs that scary figure.
Wisconsin cities top the list; Texas cities bottom out.
Oregon collectively paid 38,000 of its former public employees $1.6 billion more than they were supposed to receive. The state Supreme Court has decided the state can ask for it back.
View charts with average pay for superintendents and other public school administrators.
Crucial staff and money-saving strategies that have helped kids in jeopardy have been -- or are in danger of being -- eliminated.
New census data shows areas of the country achieving the highest levels of educational attainment. View our data to see how your area compares.
It's called "microtasking," and it may be the next big thing in government work.
It’s a way for governments to unleash the talents and energies of hundreds or thousands of people to solve problems and get big jobs done.
How educated is your community? Compare educational attainment statistics for more than 500 U.S. metro areas.
At a recent Leadership Forum in Sacramento, California leaders discussed recent responsibilities passed down from the state to counties in light of a $10 billion budget deficit.
One program, designed to help up to 4 million homeowners get relief, has offered permanent aid to less than 900,000.
Daniels -- a former Office of Management and Budget director -- talks about the work of the super committee, and what Washington needs to do to fix its fiscal mess.
Governments collect a lot of information. But that’s just the first step.
Alabama schools are reaching out to Hispanic families worried about the legal implications of a new rule requiring birth certificates for new student enrollment.
As Congress mulls and tweaks the president's legislation, a key adviser says a 'no' vote won't stop Obama's efforts.
Here are some valuable messages that employers can share with employees.
View and compare new estimates of 2010 median household incomes for each state.
Plus: Cheaper tech for schools, and more management news
View and compare annual estimates for median household incomes
Clearly, the worst part about the public sector is its employees.
Houston Independent School District is one example of districts forging ahead with extending the day and year.
In Pleasanton, Calif., radar-like sensors can more easily detect bicycle traffic, providing safer crossings for cyclists and motorists.
States and regions need the business community in the search for transformational change.
For states and regions to be competitive and innovative, they need transformational change. The business community could be a formidable ally.
Boston’s approach to upgrading its electricity-hungry streetlights, taking maximum advantage of incentive programs and competition, is illuminating.
High-profile stories, such as the departure of Philadelphia's superintendent in August, have led to questions about what constitutes fair compensation for school administrators.
New census estimates detail each state's public workforce. Use our data tool to view figures for your state and see how they compare to the private sector.
View charts and data for public workforce estimates in each state and how they compare to the private sector.
The Recovery Act is fading into history, but its tracking and reporting innovations are likely to be here to stay.
See where job growth is occurring in America. Topping the list: Ogden, Utah.
Public-private partnerships have been portrayed as a miracle cure for the country’s crumbling infrastructure. Indiana’s experience may prove otherwise.
Under the agreement with the Justice Department, Georgia will end new admissions to state mental hospitals and develop assertive community treatment, intensive care management, supported housing and supported employment programs to serve 9,000 people with mental illness over the next four years.
Some states have luck with biennial budgeting. A pair of senators say it's time for Congress to give it a shot too.
In 2006, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) graded states' mental health-care systems. The national average was a D. In a follow-up three years later, that average didn't change.
Georgia is the latest state to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to move mental health patients out of hospitals and into the community.
The White House office is more prominent and responsive than it ever was.
Loopholes, unexpected expenses and glorified revenue predictions make balanced budgets an unattainable reality for some legislatures.
A new initiative in the nation’s capital is looking to close a stark digital divide.
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board released new rules that are expected to become final next year.
The city is clearing land to rebuild its downtown using a unique business model that some say could be a game changer.
The modern era of federal aid championed by President Nixon and his “new federalism” program draws to a close.
Virginia Beach voted against the building of a light rail years ago. Now that it’s up and running in nearby Norfolk, Va., some think beach-dwellers may rethink their decision.
Some studies say that sticking with faster (rather than the fastest) rail would allow the Northwest to transport more riders for half the cost.
Tapping into young peoples’ creativity in search of green improvements has paid off for an Alaskan school district and its taxpayers.
Even though Gov. Scott Walker left public safety employees out of his attack on unions, the president of the Madison fire fighters union protested as if it were his own.
The feds cut funding for a satellite that predicts the location and intensity of tornadoes, hurricanes and snowfall.
A surefire way to cut health-care costs is to steer frequent ER visitors to less costly care.
Bills to restrict states and localities’ taxing abilities are moving through Congress. If enacted, governments may have no choice but to raise taxes.
The word "borrow" may be taboo still, but one economist says states and localities should take advantage of historic low interest rates.
Scandal and corruption have plagued Palmetto State politics for years. Some say it’s because it's virtually a one-party state.
As San Francisco County closes more than a third of its courts, local lawyers are trying to find ways to raise more revenue.
In financing big transportation projects, Los Angeles shows that it’s learned lessons from debacles of the past.
Recent movement toward widespread spending cuts has Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the non-profit National Head Start Association, concerned for the program's future.
Keep an eye on upcoming secretary of state races to gauge the future of voter ID and same-day registration laws -- and find political up and comers.
The New York mayor says America can create jobs by catering to foreign-born entrepreneurs.
A recent study identified the top 30 foundations contributing to teaching from 2000 to 2008.
Cities are tapping rainy day funds, which have lost 40 percent of their value from the pre-recession days.
Bill Gates and other philanthropists are reshaping public education policy with private cash. Can they succeed at making schools perform to their liking?
Health reform threatens to overwhelm state health IT systems. Virginia's health IT program manager discusses how his state is using newer and legacy systems to manage caseloads.
After spending billions, Kansas City's schools are as dysfunctional as ever. Urban education needs reforms that encompass accountability and performance.
Connecticut Senate President Donald Williams says he was "very pleased" with citizens' responses to Twitter and Facebook pages set up to collect feedback on Tropical Storm Irene response.
Texas has just done away with death-row inmates' special requests for last meals. An archived webpage show 20 years of prisoners' requests.
Unemployment rates have continued to remain steady for the past several months. Use our new data tool to track unemployment for your state.
President Obama outlined his criteria for states hoping to apply for waivers from some of No Child Left Behind's tougher provisions. Education advocates had mostly positive responses.
Instead of just whacking away at public services, we need to chart a new fiscal trajectory.
The budget stress that governments face now is structural, not cyclical. What’s called for is an examination of the entire public enterprise.
Programs pushing public-sector workers to adopt healthier lifestyles are making a real difference to some governments’ bottom lines.
The president wants the country to invest in infrastructure. Critics say his plan would make it more expensive for states to borrow money for those projects.
Seasonally-adjusted state unemployment rates, dating back to 2009
Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry Shumway spoke with Governing about his frustrations with the No Child Left Behind and reactions to some proposed solutions.
Select state lawmakers met with congressional super committee members this week to spare states from deep cuts. One of the lawmakers' biggest priorities addresses Medicaid.
MIT professor Paul Osterman spoke with Governing about his ideas for state and local governments that want to create "good jobs" in their area.
A new "Secure Choice" proposal is half-baked but could be salvaged.
What the research reveals on stocks, bonds and inflation.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District received the 2011 Broad Prize in Urban Education for its efforts in closing the achievement gap between ethnic and income groups.
Plus: Defining a good boss, and more management news
President Obama's deficit reduction plan represented a "mixed bag" for state legislatures, according to a NCSL official.
A major oil rig will be drilling between the Florida Keys and Cuba by mid-December.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Minnesota to reiterate the need for investment in infrastructure projects like the Central Corridor Light Rail line.
Health reform advocates are worried New York will lose out on federal funding if the state legislature does not act.
The feds are talking about ending the popular tax expenditure, which could be positive and negative for state and local economies.
Connecticut's General Assembly is asking its constituents to testify at an upcoming public hearing via Facebook and Twitter.
The Senate passes extensions to the programs after a block temporarily held up the legislation.
What if, instead of waiting until problems occur, a city could address them before they happen?
Chicago officials want a longer school day. Would that just mean ‘more of the same mediocrity’?
Business has succeeded using voluntary standards to prevent federal regulation. The states are not faring as well
Business has had a lot of success setting voluntary standards that prevent regulation from Washington. States are having a harder time finding the cohesion to do the same.
Latest kerfuffle is over funding for bike paths, landscaping and other "niceties."
Seattle is the third U.S. city to require private employers to offer paid sick leave. Is this a good idea?
For state and local revenues to improve, housing sales need to improve. The problem is that the outlook for housing isn't very pretty.
Paying for a new road or bridge is one thing. The hard part is providing for maintaining infrastructure over its lifecycle.
On its anniversary and coming off another bad jobs report, a review of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is needed now more than ever.
Data on what works and what doesn't could make for better budget-cutting decisions, but there's little evidence that that is happening.
We hear a lot about how performance budgeting can help in tough fiscal times. But governments are making little use of it.
Nearly a third of the $447 billion proposal would go to state and local governments. But state and local leaders still have questions.
Fewer voting sites. Long lines at the polls. Untrained workers. A glimpse at Nov. 6, 2012.
A collaborative effort in southeastern Michigan is pioneering a cost-effective “third way” to improve some of the lowest-performing schools.
To save millions of dollars, Rahm Emanuel wants to change the way garbage is collected. Will the mayor’s idea survive the politics of patronage?
In a time of budget austerity, governments should be spending more—not less—on technology.
Cutting technology spending along with everything else is a false economy. IT-enabled productivity improvements can save more than they cost.
With unemployment unchanged in August, city leaders say feds should invest in infrastructure and manufacturing
GOVERNING is expanding our use of data and our efforts to put job-critical information in the hands of government leaders and practitioners
Millions could lose jobs if lawmakers fail to act.
Dozens of cities and counties insist that not all their residents were counted. They may be fighting a losing battle.
Inaction could wipe out all domestic programs in just 10 years.
In just a few months, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy is implementing measures that many state legislators would have balked at.
A good idea is not enough. Architects are needed to transform government service delivery.
Delivery of public services is all about how government systems are designed. A good idea alone is not enough.
Focusing on the budget minutiae, and more management news
Not understanding what doctors say is costly for patients' health and for health care itself.
States are testing several strategies in an effort to reduce Medicaid costs. Experts assess those approaches.
In America’s largest Arab community, police are pioneering a new way to fight terrorism by strengthening neighborhood ties. Plus, more 9/11 coverage.
States are signing on to a plan that will drastically change the way the country selects its president. Supporters say they're halfway toward achieving reform.
Many are watching to see how former Wal-Mart executive Bryan Koon will adapt his private-sector knowledge to aiding the Sunshine State.
Unlike most shelters, this one offers a place for people with mental illness and substance use problems to avoid jail and better their situations.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a public utility in the Southeast, is testing small nuclear reactors as a source for cheaper, cleaner energy.
Overhauling how the health-care industry uses technology is already a difficult job. Meeting the new requirements under the health reform act is an even greater challenge for states.
